Responsibilities
by NotreDame
Summary: 8. Dominique Destine is back to work and starts studying the Grimorum Novum. She’s not the only one who wants this book. Set just after my "night research" fic.
1. Chapter 1

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated.

Many thanks to Hardwing and Storyseeker for their advice and suggestions.

_Four_

_Responsibilities_

Author: NotreDame

Previously, on _Gargoyles_:

Brooklyn was the first to leave. He was enjoying himself but he said that he just wanted to make a short patrol, just in case. "You never know, with all those drunk people, an accident may happen…" He glided away to the place he used to go.

A few minutes passed. Then the usual fireball appeared…

"_Baby-sitting_"

Hudson, to Arch: "So ye've been hanging around with a book full of magic spells that had been macerating in the air of Avalon for a thousand year? It's a magic book ye have in yer hands, lad, and a very powerful one!"

"The Grimorum!" (Demona) said. "Or I kill her!"

"_Bye bye, little angel_"

**Avalon** **Castle**

Mike pinched himself. He was dreaming. He was _obviously_ dreaming. He didn't believe in the Tooth Fairy, or in fabulous creatures, or in what politicians told on TV. But obviously, he was facing the proof that he was _wrong_ (except about honest politicians, of course). What could be happening? Lenny elbowed him and whispered something. "SILENCE" shouted the creature with blue skin, white hair and pointy ears. Everybody stopped talking with awe. Mike supposed the 'man' was probably a king and bowed. Lenny tried to go and shake hands with the king but was prevented to do so by a few weird creatures and finally bowed, too, before asking: "please, sir, can I have my camera back?"

In the audience, a man in his mid-fifties, dressed like in the middle-ages, discreetly gestured him to shut up. A few feys started to laugh. A woman with fire-colored hair in a white Greek dress who was now watching the camera walked to them with an apologetic smile but the red-haired and green-skinned woman who was standing by the king stopped her with a motion of her hand. "Later" she said. "Now, tell me, why did you trespass on Avalon?"

"It was an accident" Mike said. "We did not intend to invade you." The feys laughed again. These two humans, one short and plump, the other thin and clumsy-looking, neither of them having weapons on them, didn't remotely look like invaders. Lenny added: "We are journalists, that's all!" Mike elbowed him. How stupid, these creatures probably didn't want any journalists to visit them! In the audience, the medieval man was holding his forehead in dismay. The woman Mike had seen earlier on the parapets was at his side, whispering something in his ear. Michael wished he were back home. "We are sorry for having trespassed."

"Who found you?" the king asked. Lenny quickly answered. "Two of your gargoyles. Very nice creatures, we are P.I.T. members, by the way. Perhaps…" Mike elbowed him again. It was no time for asking for an interview. Oberon was already asking for the names of the gargoyles. Then he said: "_Faith and Edward, awake and come_!" And the two gargoyles appeared in front of them, blinking. Although they were obviously surprised (but much less surprised than the two trespassers), they bowed and asked what the matter was. And they had to explain everything, as well as they could.

At the end of the explanation, Lenny started to wonder when his camera would be given back to him. It was now in the hands of an American Indian young man who was talking with a man in a toga. "Please" he shouted at him, "be careful, this is fragile!" The last time he had let someone tamper with his camera, it had ended up in the Hudson River. It was a bad memory.

A lot of feys laughed. A man with three eyes and four arms, dressed in Indian clothes shouted. "My Lord and Father, those humans are trespassers, they deserve death!"

"I agree with Shiva!" added a man who looked like the Greek god Ares.

"No!" protested the woman Mike had noticed earlier. "This would be pointless violence."

"I agree with Athena" added the woman in the white dress.

"Let keep them here, they look funny!" noticed the elephant-headed man.

"I agree with Ganesha" added a giant spider (Mike half-closed his eyes. He hated spiders). At that point, the two gargoyles walked to the trespassers. "We found the humans, they are under our protection, now!" said Edward. A few fairy beings stepped back (Faith's arrows were iron ones) but Oberon shook his head, said "sleep" and they froze into stone. Mike tried hard to remember why he had chosen to be a journalist.

"My Lord" said the green-skinned woman, "our children all have a point. We cannot let them go back the way they are to the place they belong but it wouldn't be worth of you to murder them. Just erase their most recent memories and bring them back to New York City."

"OK, but give me my camera back!" protested Lenny. The camera appeared in Titania's hands and she laughed. "Later" she said. Then she looked at the strangers, said "sleep" and everything went dark around them.

Later, Mike half-regained consciousness. He was lying in a skiff and someone was putting a small object into his hand. "You seem to be the cleverer of the two" said a male voice. "Please develop the photos when you are back home and… you'll see what to do. Okay?" Then everything became dark and silent again.

**Nightstone** **Unlimited, Monday, 28 April 1997**

After a whole weekend spent in her home, a thin and weary-looking Dominique Destine was back at work. She terrified her employees, who had become used to come to work wearing jeans and tee-shirts, to eat donuts during the breaks and to tell jokes about her. Demona was allergic to humour. She asked about the most recent researches and results and went completely mad when she was told that no one had the data about the VAL001. Dr Bonnot was gone, allegedly hired by someone called Xanatos. The other employees who had been working with him were mysteriously missing, not counting stupid Vincenza Barbarino (or whatever her name was), still a kid. Dominique promised herself to fire her as soon as she could (after all, it was all her fault if they had both been shrunk, with all the disastrous consequences that had ensued). After having bullied all her staff, she locked herself in her office and sighed. She was back in that maddening human world.

Then she opened her briefcase and took the book, the _Grimorum_ _Novum_. She had spent a part of the weekend trying to read it. A lot of sentences in red were probably not magic spells: the Magus' memory was not infallible. Some were interesting, though. This book could be a source of power.

A word in black attracted her attention: the name of her daughter. Curious, she read. _The eggs hatched four months ago and it is only now that I find time to write! I would have never believed that raising children was so tiring. We hardly see the sun now. It's strange, I feel important now that these fragile little things depend on me and I think Katherine and Tom feel the same way. Katherine was so moved the night they hatched, she actually rocked and sang lullabies to the 36 of them! I had never really seen her motherly side before. She found most of their names. First, she wanted to give angels' names to all of them but she quickly lacked of ideas. There's a Gabriel, a Raphael, a Uriel, an Archangel, an Angelina, an Angelica, an Angela and so on. I wonder how the eggs will feel later when they will know what I have done to their families._

_And there was the problem with Faith. Her wings do not remotely look like her siblings' and we wondered how we could make her wear clothes. According to Tom, there was a gargoyle like her in Castle Wyvern and he thinks his wings were pierced. Katherine didn't want to hurt her so we waited and she spent hours, trying to make suitable clothes. But it was obvious she would keep losing them and finally we had to pierce her wings anyway. She shouted like mad…_

Demona dropped the book, furious. No gargoyle on earth would have waited before piercing a web-winged hatchling's wings: if they were pierced at the moment of his/her hatching, it was much less painful! Those humans had been torturing one of her poor rookery children! And what did he mean by "I feel important"? Did he consider himself more important than the hatchlings?

Dominique put the book away and decided to go and bully someone. It would calm her down.

**The rooftops, the following night**

Brooklyn was patrolling with Archangel. The guy was a quick learner, a bit stubborn but there was nothing really wrong with him. Angela and Broadway had been with them for an hour (and the red gargoyle _hated_ patrolling with those two ones, who kept holding hands and trying to kiss when they thought he wasn't looking at them) but now they had stayed on a rooftop to check something (Brooklyn didn't know what and he wasn't sure that he wanted to know) and the second-in-command found himself alone with the Avalon-hatched male. And at least he was able to ask him the question he had been dying to ask for ages.

"Tell me, Arch, are there many unmated girls on Avalon?"

Arch wasn't surprised. "I have sixteen sisters, not counting the beasts, of course. Officially, Ophelia and Gaetana are mated. You know about Angela. There are three sisters of mine who are practically mated, one who falls in love with a different guy every other week and I don't know about the other ones."

"That makes nine or ten potential mates. Are they pretty?" Arch laughed. "You seem a bit obsessed about finding you a mate!"

"Are you not?" Brooklyn asked, surprised. Arch shook his head. "No, it is not really my priority."

"You're gay, maybe?"

"Gay about what?" he asked.

"I mean looking for a boyfriend." Arch opened wide eyes. "Of course not!" Brooklyn was a bit uneasy about his answer: was Arch a homophobe? "There's nothing wrong with being gay, you know" he noticed. Oh, I know. You left Avalon because you were in love with one of the girls who got mated?"

"Couldn't we talk about something else?" Brooklyn wondered why it was that moaner who had come to New York. He could have done with one of his sisters instead of him. "Yes! What do you want to talk about?"

They fell silent. Then the beaked gargoyle jumped. "What's the matter?" Arch asked. Brooklyn laughed nervously. "Nothing. I saw a big light and I thought it was something else."

"What?"

"You know…" On a whim, Brooklyn decided to tell the truth. "A few months ago, Goliath got rid of the Phoenix Gate. It is lost in time, now. But, it may seem extraordinary but I saw it appear several times ever since. The problem is, it always disappeared too early for me to use it."

"You want to go away from this place?" Arch laughed. "How I understand you!"

"Yes" he said wistfully. "I could meet a girl in another time and place. And I'd go back early enough and nobody would notice that I were gone. Or she would come to Manhattan with me!"

"You're dreaming" Arch said. "You won't find a girl this way. Leave New York City."

"I can't! I'm the second-in-command. I have responsibilities."

"Responsibilities?" he said slightly scornfully. "That's your idea of life? Get rid of them, you'll feel much better!"

"How old are you? Twenty-six?" Brooklyn asked. In a way, he couldn't help envying Arch's unconcern, but he knew that he was wrong. "Life is difficult but you can't get rid of all the problems only by saying _Deflagrate Tempi Muri et Intervalia_…"

"No, indeed" he answered, laughing. "Wrong incantation. The right one is _Deflagrate Muri Tempi et Intervalia_, not the other way round."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Excuse me" he added, looking at a public clock, "is our patrol over?"

"Yes." Brooklyn looked at Arch gliding away, lost in his thoughts. Then he decided to go to his secret place.

**Another rooftop**

"I miss her" Angela said. Broadway didn't have to ask her who she was talking about. He knew too well. He too had gotten attached to little Demie, completely forgetting who she had been. And now Demie was gone. "It's not your fault" he said. "It was unavoidable."

"Yes, but…"

"We'll have other children." Angela smiled in spite of herself. They were not even officially mated! "Is this a proposal?" she asked mischievously. The aqua gargoyle blushed. She kissed him and added: "I accept! I'll be more than happy!" He kissed her back, relieved and pleased. For weeks he had been trying to find a way to make his proposal to her. Now it was done, quite unexpectedly. Thank you, Demie.

A long moment passed. They were still embraced and he realized that she was crying. "Angela, what…" She put a finger on his lips. "Nothing. It's just that… you know, I got used to her and…"

"So did I. But she's not dead, you know" he said comfortingly. "She's…"

"Still my mother. And still unhappy." He tightened his embrace. She felt sorry for her mother who was alone again with her rage and her pain, forever. He knew that she was sorry for her. And he didn't know how to comfort her.

She kept crying in his arms.

**Destine Manor**

Demona was checking the balance sheet of her company. Eduardo (or Alberto, or whatever his name was) had a nasty look and she wouldn't have been surprised if he had stolen her something.

Someone knocked at her window. She looked up, expecting to see her daughter but instead, she saw that other gargoyle, Alf, or Arch, or whatever his name was. She grabbed her laser canon and aimed at him. He didn't seem remotely afraid. So, she thought, this one is either very brave, or very stupid. Unless he has never heard about the concept of firearms. She opened the window without putting her weapon away. "Come in" she commanded. He entered the room and asked: "I suppose you expected me to come."

"No."

"I want my book back, Demona."

"_This_ book?" she asked. "The Grimorum? Why would you think I would give it to you?" She straightened herself. This could be a trap.

"Because the Magus legated his diary to me" he said coldly. "It is mine. I can give you something in exchange if you want to but I want my book."

Something in exchange? The immortal gargoyle had a better look at him. He was good-looking, undoubtedly, and didn't seem too stupid. Moreover, the naivety of his step let her guess that he was probably as inexperienced as Angela, if not more. Slowly, she put her gun away and gestured him to sit down. This dreamboat could be a godsend (or a devilsend) for her. "I suppose Goliath and the clan told you I am evil?" she asked.

"Oh, Angela likes you. But I wonder if she's right."

"What?"

"You attacked my clan when you came on Avalon. And a few nights ago, you threatened and kidnapped my rookery sister. But if you are not that evil, you will probably give me my book back?"

The Avalon events! Demona couldn't remember anything about them but Angela had explained her everything when she was in jail in the Labyrinth. "I was under a spell in Avalon" she explained. "Why do you want this book?"

"Because it is mine. The Magus told me that one day, I could take his diary."

**_Flashback._** **_Avalon, several centuries earlier._**

_The reading lesson was over. The hatchlings, all biologically ten, left the room, except Archangel, who couldn't help noticing how sad and lost his foster father looked. "Magus, is there a problem?" he asked. The white-haired man forced himself to smile. "No. Go and play, child." The hatchling shook his head. "I'd prefer to stay with you and read, if you don't mind." Arch didn't really like reading but he had the feeling the Magus needed company._

_The Magus nearly felt like crying. He knew that the woman he was in love with would never reciprocate his feelings for her. And he couldn't possibly hate the one she had chosen, or even mind about him. He had more or less gotten used of being a third wheel but every now and then it was getting too hard for him. He guessed that the little boy was trying to cheer him up and was deeply moved. "Choose a book" he said suddenly. "Whichever you want, I give it to you. But don't say it to anybody."_

"_Me?"_

"_Yes, choose!" Happily, Arch had a look at the books. "I want this one!" he said._

"_Arch, it's my diary!" his foster father protested._

"_You said I could choose the book I want!" The Magus sighed. "I am currently writing it but I make you a promise: when I have finished, you'll have it. Agreed?"_

_The child hugged him._

"It is not only a diary" Demona said. "It's a magic book. That's why I want to keep it."

"Hey, look at all that you have" Arch answered, gesturing at the richly furnished room. "I only have that book. I need it."

"Perhaps I could offer you something else?" she suggested. He listen, interested. This woman was obviously dangerous and untrustworthy but he liked it. After all those years spent in the most boring place in the earth, he just wanted something else. "Yes, what can you offer me?"

"Power."

"You want to cheat on me" he suspected.

"It seems that you were very close to the man who wrote that book", she noticed. "Did he ever explain you what magic is about?"

"No, but…"

"He didn't even trust you!" Arch didn't know what to answer. Yes, he had asked the Magus several times to teach him magic but he had always refused. "So", he finally asked, "what do you propose me?"

"You let me keep the book and I teach you how to use it, _rookery son_" she said, smiling. It was a real torture for Arch. He didn't want anyone to read his poor foster father's most intimate thoughts. But what she was suggesting him seemed really exciting and he didn't want to miss this kind of opportunity.

Well, if she was only interested in magic, perhaps she wouldn't read the diary parts.

"Yes" he said finally. She smiled in a nearly seductive way.

**Elsewhere**

Brooklyn was gliding alone, somewhere over the rooftops. He was still thinking about what his life was: although he had a clan, he was more or less alone. The Trio was gone as Broadway was spending more time with Angela and Lexington with Alex. He had more responsibilities than the other ones, except Goliath. But did he get any reward?

One night, he had noticed a fireball over a rooftop. He had thought it was a dream. But it seem that it had been appearing several times ever since, always on the same rooftop. He had finally understood what it was and asked for the incantation to Angela the night Demona had been turned into a hatchling, just after she told him that she was not interested in him. She had probably forgotten about this, having other things to worry about. But he had never been able to use the incantation and to leave. Anyway, he had never really dared. That wouldn't have been right.

Now he was on that very rooftop, alone with his dreams. The day before, he had dreamt that he was with a gargess he had never seen before. She was gorgeous, there was no other word: beautiful eyes, an incredibly sensual voice and the most perfect body he had ever seen. They had kissed immediately, slowly, very slowly, his tongue exploring her mouth, and then he had found his hands running on her body, exploring her curves, hills and valleys, finding their way under her clothes, on her warm, soft skin. She smelt so good… It was an ecstasy he hand never experienced before, he didn't want it to stop, it had been such a disappointment when he had awoken! Why couldn't he have that, why did his arms have to be eternally empty?

The fireball appeared. Without thinking, he jumped. _Deflagrate_ _Muri Tempi et Intervalia_! This time, the fireball swallowed him. It was too late for regrets, he was gone.

**A forest, 1897**

Luckily enough, it was night-time. The red gargoyle looked around him while hurriedly putting the Phoenix Gate in a leather purse at his belt. The place was quite dark, even for his sharp gargoyle's eyes. Oh no, he expected to end up in an interesting place, with cool things, adventures and beautiful girls (not necessarily in this order), not in a dark, silent forest!

Well, perhaps there was some way to have fun in this place. He started searching (he would come back to Manhattan later and nobody would notice that he was gone) and he finally saw lights in the night. A few humans were camping. He guessed he would probably not be welcomed and stayed hidden for a while to listen. He could only make out a few words. "_Tomorrow we'll leave… explore the remnants… rid of all of them" _Puzzled, he left and finally found a clearing. There were ruins in the middle of it. It looked like an enormous building that had just been destroyed, silver-colored stones under the moonlight. Brooklyn went round it.

Then he heard a humming. It came from under the stones. Curious, then worried, the beaked gargoyle started clearing them away. He finally managed to clear a way and, after a long effort, ended up in a narrow corridor that leaded to a dark room. His foot hit something: a lamp. He lighted it and what he saw filled him with sadness.

The room had been a rookery once. But most of the eggs had been destroyed, crushed to death when the ceiling had fallen. There were still four of them that seemed to be intact, at the feet of a female gargoyle who was lying on the floor. She was about twenty-nine biologically, her skin a pinkish red, pretty but for once, Brooklyn didn't feel interested. She looked as if she hadn't eaten for days. Appalled, he knelt at her side. "Can you hear me?" he asked. She opened her eyes, looked at him curiously and said: "yes."

"Can you follow me?"

"I… think I can walk and glide. What has happened to my clan?"

"I'm afraid someone destroyed the pyramid" he said. She buried her face into her hands and started to cry. "Did you find anyone?" she gasped.

"No. I'm sorry. But you can't stay here, they could come back. I can bring you into safety, don't worry. What's your name?"

"I don't have a name" she whispered. "And I won't follow you, my eggs need me!"

"We'll bring them with us." Softly, he stroked a wisp of her dark red hair. She cuddled against him, then straightened herself and tried to stand up. She was slightly smaller than him. "Where do you come from?" she asked.

"Manhattan."

"I have never heard this name before. In which forest is it?"

"It's not a forest, it's a city. I bet we are in Guatemala."

"If you know it, why do you ask me?" Brooklyn sighed. He would come home earlier than expected, after all. He put the eggs closer to each other and took the Phoenix Gate in his purse. _Deflagrate Muri Tempi et Intervalia._

**New York City, the rooftops**

The Mayan gargoyle looked around her, terrified. Gone was the rookery, gone was her beloved forest! Instead, she was standing on a strange place that felt nasty. Some horrible noises were coming from below, there were weird lights everywhere and she couldn't see or smell any kinds of vegetal, at least not normal vegetal. How was it possible? "You… sorcerer!" she shouted, eyes glowing red, before snatching the magical artefact from his hand and throwing it away. Brooklyn's heart jumped – it had fallen into the Hudson River – but he didn't try to retrieve it. Instead, he tried to calm the lady down.

"I just did it to help you!"

"Don't approach me. Don't approach my eggs!"

"I wanted to bring you to my clan!" The gargess shook her head. "I died when the pyramid was destroyed? You are the angel of death and you are bringing me into hell?"

"No, I'm bringing you into a safe place." He looked at the sky. There were still hours before the sunrise. "Listen, I'll go and get my clan, they'll come back and we'll bring your eggs safely into our rookery, OK?"

"What does it mean, OK?" He nearly laughed nervously. He had forgotten that it was a word that probably did not exist at her time. "Never mind. Stay here, My Lady, I'll be back." And he glided away to the castle.

**Castle Wyvern**

Bronx greeted Brooklyn loudly but he didn't care. He entered the castle and bumped into the leader. "Goliath" he said, we have a problem. I…"

"You disappear for two nights and you tell me there's a problem?"

Two nights? Brooklyn didn't expect that! Well, it could have been worse. "I… I'll tell you later but there's a sick lady in the city and her eggs are in danger!" Goliath wondered what was happening. His second had disappeared unexpectedly and the clan had been searching him throughout New York City. They had called upon the mutates' services, spied on Sevarius and Demona, Elisa had not slept during a whole day. And now he was coming back, just saying "_the eggs are in danger_" (he had already heard it once). "Which eggs?"

"The…" Brooklyn would have blushed, were he not already red. "Gargoyles eggs, four of them. We need to be at least five to bring them back here."

"Lexington, Angela and Archangel are on patrol, they should be back soon. Hudson and Broadway are in the castle." At that moment, the three gargoyles came back. Angela hugged Brooklyn, relieved to see him back (and he realized only later that he didn't regret that it was only a friendly hug). Arch and Lex both seemed to be in a bad mood. Goliath finally decided that he would give a telling-off to his second later and he commanded to him, Broadway, Arch and Angela to go and get the lady and the eggs.

She was still on the rooftop. A gargoyle never forsakes the eggs of his/her clan. While Goliath was offering her hospitality, the red gargoyle couldn't help noticing that indeed, she was pretty. And she was not that much older than him. He had never been lucky with girls but perhaps things would change. At his side, Archangel looked completely puzzled. "How can she have no name?" he asked in a very low voice. "It's completely scandalous, no one should be treated like that! How did her clan call her?"

"Friend, sister or rookery keeper, I guess" answered Brooklyn. "In some clans, no one has a name. But perhaps she will want one, now."

"Don't call her Angie" quickly said Angela, guessing the situation would soon become embarrassing if he carried on staring at her like a starving animal in front of a bowl of food he can't reach.

The beaked gargoyle looked away.

A few minutes later, everyone was gliding back to the castle with the eggs. The Mayan newcomer was feeling miserable, in spite of the compassion of these strangers. Her clan was gone forever and she was trapped into an ugly, alien place. She really wished it was a nightmare.

**The quays**

Mike opened his eyes. His head was heavy, as if he was waking up after being plastered. But there was no taste of alcohol in his mouth. He was not in his bed, although his head was resting on something flabby. It was cold and he was lying outside, his head on someone else's belly. How on earth had he gotten there!

He got up and shook Lenny awake, hoping that this one could inform him about what had just happened. "Lenny? Lenny!"

"Hmmmm?" the photograph opened his eyes, smiled weakly and frowned. "Mike? What are we doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same question!" Mike started to panic. He searched through his pockets and found everything he had brought with him, which reassured him a bit. Perhaps they had been for a report to a place where the wrong kind of people went and they had drunk one of those drugs who made you amnesic. He decided to go and see his doctor as soon as possible. Then he noticed Lenny's camera on the ground and had another idea. Perhaps he had photographed the place they had been and the people they had met?

The digital camera hadn't registered anything valuable, or all the pictures had been erased. Only one photo had been taken. It looked like a text, nothing else. Mike was tired. He decided they would develop the photo the day after. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

_To be continued…_


	2. Interview with a gargoyle clan

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated.

Many thanks to Hardwing and Storyseeker for their advice and suggestions.

_Four_

_Interview with a gargoyle clan_

Author: NotreDame ()

Previously, on _Gargoyles_:

Finally, the teenager managed to talk. "Oh… oh, thank you for having saved me! It's unbelievable, I was going to a P.I.T. meeting! My name is Sue Martinez, by the way. Can I have your autograph?"

"Er…" said Brooklyn hesitantly. He tried to find something funny to say but for once, he couldn't think of anything. The girl was already browsing the content of her bag. "Oh, please, I am your biggest fan! I read all the articles about you."

"_You've got mail_"

Later, Mike half-regained consciousness. He was lying in a skiff and someone was putting a small object into his hand. "You seem to be the cleverer of the two" said a male voice. "Please develop the photos when you are back home and… you'll see what to do. Okay?" Then everything became dark and silent again.

"_Responsibilities_"

_The Mayan gargess_. Life in Manhattan is not that difficult, after all. I have been here for three weeks and I still miss the place where I was hatched but I am happy to have found this clan. They are nice to me. Yesterday, I spent three hours in the kitchen with the one called Broadway because he wanted me to show him how to make typical Guatemalan dishes. I didn't have the needed ingredients, I have never been much of a cook and I am not used to this modern kitchen so the result was weird and the room was a mess! I was really embarrassed but it just made him laugh. "_Never mind, Maya_ (they call me Maya, now), _the castle has seen much worse_." And we cleaned the place with the help of his mate. She's a very nice girl. I think I am going to like these two ones.

On the other hand, I don't like the leader's second-in-command at all. He's creepy! I have the feeling he keeps following me, looking at me the way a dog looks at a bone. I have been alone with him once and he asked me really weird questions. According to Angela, he's just a bit… hormones-driven. She had a hard time explaining me what hormones are. In fact, I find it difficult to understand everything. How can Goliath be Angela's father as he is not much older than her? How can she know who her biological father is? Why did she and Arch forsake their former clan? Why does Goliath have a human mate? And why don't they have eggs or a rookery?

It reminds me that the eggs will hatch in less than a year. My rookery children. I wish so badly their other parents were still with me! And I wish they will be happy in this new life.

_Mike Harker._ I had to sell my television yesterday. It was the only way for me to be able to pay my rent. My life has become a nightmare and I feel alone as Lenny is unable to think normally. That's why I came into this place alone. And I am starting to regret it.

There are several pubs, bars and nightclubs in New York City that have the word "Avalon" in their name. I am in one of them, desperately looking for something that would make me understand what is written on the photo I found in Lenny's camera. It's so mysterious, I just want to know! But I have the feeling everyone is watching me. It is completely new for me as I am very average-looking, which is an asset in my job. I can usually watch and listen to everything without being noticed. But in this pub, no one looks average. The barman has so many tattoos that I can't make out the color of his skin. This girl eying me has so many piercing that she probably can't pass metal detectors. There is someone a few feet away from me but I can't make out if this someone is male or female or anything. The two ones disguised as cyborgs look like they escaped from a horror movie. But I want to know where I have been during those three days! "_Do you know if there's someone called Coyote who comes here sometimes_?"

The barman doesn't look remotely interested. I pretend to be interested in something else. After ten minutes playing billiards with Dracula's little brother, the cyborg girl comes to me. "_You know about Coyote_?" she asks.

"_I know a friend of his_" I lie. "_He asked me to give a message from him to someone he knows. And_…"

"_Which message_?" the cyborg guy asks.

"_I've lost it_." I know I'm not the cleverest guy on earth but I generally know when I can trust someone and when I can't (call it journalist instinct). These two ones are not normal, I'd better run away before trouble begins. But miss terminator looks quite angry. "_A message to who? To a girl? Is he cheating on me?_" My god, I'm not surprised her guy wants to cheat on her, she looks mad! "_I've lost the message and I was a bit drunk that night! But perhaps we are not talking about the same person. Can you describe me your Coyote?_"

She shrugs. "_Ten feet tall, all metal, amazingly sexy_." Sure enough, I was completely drunk that night. Or she was the drunk one. "_Sorry miss, we are not talking about the same person. I suppose you don't know about people named Beth or Laurel and Hardy_?"

The guy says no. I've got to go back home now before the situation becomes too weird. I leave the freak show. There is no one in the streets.

Then I feel something metallic around my neck! I try to run away but… Oh no… oh no! I must be dreaming! This girl is not disguised, she's a _real_ cyborg! And a mad one. "_Now, tell me, who's that Beth and why is she trying to steal my Coyote_?" I can't escape. Oh no, I'm dead! "_Help!__ HELP!"_

_Brooklyn_. Goliath, Lexington and I have been patrolling for one hour. Nothing abnormal. Then we hear someone shouting for help, and a mad laughter. Before I have time to react, Lexington has already plunged. This is Hyena's laugh and he still HATES her. We follow him immediately. Who knows what can happen now.

She's alone, which is quite surprising. She drops her prisoner when she sees us and a fight ensues. She shouts, Jackal joins the battle. I nearly get beheaded. Unexpectedly, Jackal finally tells her to stop because "_you'll get her another time_." And they run away. Lex wants to follow them but they are too fast, he comes back to us.

The twins' victim doesn't look hurt. The first thing he asks for is an interview: he's a journalist and a P.I.T. member. He would like to know how our little girl is doing (it feels weird to hear this now that Demie is 'gone', it reminds we how I wish Demona were not back in town) and how we feel about the Quarrymen and life in New York City. Goliath refuses first but Lexington seems interested. He seems to think it could help us and I quite agree with him. Anyway, Goliath takes the guy's telephone number and asks him why Hyena attacked him. He doesn't seem to know. I think it's weird: he looks like the average man and the people who go into this kind of bar are anything but normal-and-boring citizens (I know about it: once I entered this kind of place with sunglasses and a leather jacket and it took them a while before realizing who I am, or rather what I am. I had to run away). Anyway, we check that Mr Harker enters his car safely, we scale a wall and we glide away.

I wonder what Maya is doing right now. I think I love her. It's obvious: I can't stop thinking of her! And sooner or later, she will realize that it is obvious, too. Anyway, she doesn't have any other choice: Hudson is retired, Goliath is with Elisa, Broadway with Angela, Lex is gay and Arch… Arch could be a rival when he'll realize that having a mate is important, yes. But she has to choose me! I have already suffered too much, I'm not going to marry Sue, the hysterical P.I.T. member, just because she's obsessed by me!

How can you get obsessed by someone you don't even know, by the way? I wonder so. That girl is obviously stupid.

_Demona_. I've been trying to teach a simple levitation spell to Arch for one hour but he still doesn't get it. It seems that he's not extremely bright. I'm sure Angela would perform it perfectly but I _can't_ have her as an ally (pity). It's unfair. She's my daughter as well as Goliath and I can't have her. Well, one day, I'll take revenge on him.

It's weird how I feel now. I have my grown-up body back, with the curves, the muscles, the hormones and, well, I don't see Arch any more as I used to do. Sometimes, in the middle of a lesson, I watch him when he is concentrated on something. Not only the face. He has beautiful arms, broad wings and shoulders and sometimes I start imagining things, I could be in his arms and... I just can't help. I know I shouldn't, he is supposed to be my pupil but, well, these are only thoughts! I haven't mated with anyone for a thousand years, after all. My skin is really hungry and sometimes, I can't think of anything else.

He has to leave now, they are waiting for him in the castle. Perhaps his average intelligence could be an asset for me: the less clever ones are easier to manipulate. I won't make the Thailog mistake twice. Now that he's gone, I can have a look at the photos I told him to bring me. They were taken at Angela's mating ceremony, two weeks ago. Here's my daughter, glowing with joy, with white flowers in her hair. She's so beautiful! It reminds me of my own mating ceremony, centuries ago, before I realised humans are evil and Goliath is not reliable. I don't want to think of it.

It feels weird to look at pictures of a gargoyle ceremony after all those centuries. Hey, what does the human Elisa Maza do on that picture? Why did that bitch attend my daughter's mating ceremony while I was not invited? This simple though makes me want to glide to her place and rip her head off but I won't do that. No, she deserves something much more painful.

She looks happy, my Angela. She chose a Goliath loyalist but everyone has the right to make mistakes, sometimes. Who's that skinny, reddish-skinned gargoyle, on that other picture? I've never seen her before. Another egg from Avalon? No, she doesn't look Scottish to me. One of Sevarius' creations, maybe? Oh, I'll take care of that matter later, I always find a way to know what I want. Now, let's study the _Grimorum__ Novum_ again. I want to find a way to destroy Elisa Maza.

**Castle Wyvern, two days later**

_Hudson_. Goliath has taken his decision. In a few hours, the clan is going into Central Park te give an interview. The lad dinnae want te but Elisa has managed te convince him. Everyone is not enthusiastic about the idea. I'm not, anyway. Maya categorically refuses te come, she says she has te stay and keep watch on the rookery, as it has always been her duty. I think it is only one of the reasons, the lass is one of the shyest persons I have ever met. I've been told that she fights like the average gargoyle but asking a simple question is obviously a torture for her.

Of course, Brooklyn wants te stay with her. Goliath refuses and tells me that I am te stay (probably te avoid our new sister being embarrassed by the lad as he doesn't realises that he terrifies her). So I turn on the television and I ask Maya if she wants te watch it with me. She politely refuses. A moment later, she comes and apologizes for bothering me but she has found drawings in the rookery, what should she do with them?

Demie's drawings! Of course, we turned her former bedroom into a real rookery. Xanatos added an alarm system and a 'real' door (in fact, it was probably rather Fox's idea). I come with Bronx and have a look at them. The hatchling had been drawing all of us. I must look disturbed because Maya asks me if I am all right. I reassure her and tell her the whole story. She probably finds it hard te understand everything but she tells me she is sorry. So am I.

She dares asking me how it feels to be a rookery parent (it will be her turn soon). Aye, it's different fer every hatchling! Demona was a particular case, though. Back in the old days in Castle Wyvern, the lass showed big promise. She was strong and clever and I expected her te become one of the best warriors in the clan. But there was her ambition, her greed for power, her fascination fer sorcery and her tendency te mistrust all humans. She only did exactly as she pleased, no matter what I or anyone else told her. In the end, she parted away from the clan and lost all sense of what a true gargoyle really is.

And then she was turned into Demie, the innocent little hatchling. For a while, I believed things would be different. I thought we could possibly avoid her that infamous fate. We saw her trusting humans, even playing with a human baby. But we were fooled again. There is nothing I have been able te do te prevent her from going te the dogs.

Maya guesses I feel bad about her. "_You didn't fail her_" she says hesitantly. "_You told me yourself, every hatchling is different. What happened to her is not your fault._" Suddenly I realise I have been confiding in someone I hardly know. The lass looks embarrassed, she is probably not used te listen te confidences from strangers. She checks the eggs and suggests that we go back and watch television. I guess it tacitly means that she won't tell anyone what I have just told her. I trust her: excessively shy people hardly ever like gossiping. We leave the room, Bronx following us reluctantly. I think he too misses the hatchling he used te play with: he is obviously looking forward te see the eggs hatch. Aye, life is weird, sometimes. I hope we will be luckier with those new hatchlings than with Demie.

_Elisa Maza. _The journalists and I are waiting in Central Park. Harker looks like the serious guy to me, boring but trustworthy. He tells me he will let the clan read everything before the publication and suppress whatever they want. We are talking randomly. _How did I connect with the clan? It's a long story, in fact. There are issues between the Quarrymen and the P.I.T., how do you feel about it? I'm not very proud of some things I've been doing, you know. Brrr, I don't like being in that place at this time of the night, do you? I'm a cop and my friends can cope with any kind of danger._ The photograph keeps checking his camera and tells me he had a weird surprise with it once. Oh, and a gargoyle dropped his previous one into the river, is there a possible way to get compensation? Harker apologises for having such a colleague and discreetly tells him off. One minute later, Brandt tells me I should work as a model instead of wasting my time and my face being a cop. This man is a living disaster.

Then we see six shadows landing in front of us: the Trio, Goliath, Angela and Arch. Without saying hello, Brandt runs at them and starts taking photos. Harker forces himself to shake hands with Goliath, obviously impressed. Then the interview begins (we don't tell the journalists about the eggs). It goes well. But Mr Stupid spoils everything when he asks why they didn't bring the little girl!

Angela protests and says she has been traumatised by her encounter with the Quarrymen. Too bad, says the photograph, I would have like to take the kid in her mommy's arms, like last time… who's her father, anyway? Goliath explains that the children belong to the whole clan. Suddenly, everyone looks embarrassed.

Let's be honest: I miss Demie a bit. She was cute and funny, at least at the beginning. After the night Beth was shrunk, she grew colder to me, though. But it was nice to see that Demona was unable to harm us. I still have Demie's drawing pinned over my bed. Once, just before love, Goliath asked me why I was keeping it. I was unable to answer. Because she looked like the child we will never be able to have together? He looked troubled and I knew why. He is afraid that she could try to kill me again.

The interview is over, the clan go back to their duties. Just before leaving, Harker asks me if… "_I know you must have other things to worry about, but perhaps you know someone who can give information to me. Someone has made us a joke by giving us a very strange text. It looks like nonsense to me but one never knows. I have a copy of it, perhaps you could have a look_?" I'm not interested in this kind of things but perhaps Matt will be willing to play with this journalist's text. It cannot hurt anybody, anyway. I have to go back to the precinct, now.

_Claw_. It's a normal night in the Labyrinth. Most dwellers are sleeping, as well as Maggie and Talon. Only the clones are awake, I had to tell Hollywood off because he kept carving his name on the walls. He's so proud of being able to write! I like this time of the night, I can read or listen to Beethoven with my headphones alone in the kitchen, without being bothered.

Ten minutes ago, a child said me hello on his way to the bathroom. It's funny, most of the dwellers' children have decided to learn sign language and did it way faster than the adults. The thing is, they adapted this language to the Labyrinth, modifying a lot of things as one goes along, each of them inventing at least one word and finally, we ended up with an independent language. We call it labylanguage or Claw language and everyone can understand it in the Labyrinth (we mutates, the clones, the Maza family, half of the dwellers), except Fang, who seems to be quite pissed off about it (perhaps he feels excluded, I don't know).

But Talon's mobile phone is ringing now! He has forgotten it on the table. I pick it up just before remembering I can't talk. A name is displayed: Elisa. Just in case, I go to Maggie and Talon's bedroom. Perhaps they are awake.

They are definitely awake: I can hear them through the door. They are so loud, I feel relieved that I can hear it only through my sharp mutate senses and that all the children are in bed: no innocent child on earth should hear that. I wouldn't have believed that the gentle Maggie could make so much noise and say this kind of… Ok, I have to go back to my room. It's not the good time to bother them and if I stay here any longer, I'm going to get ideas. Too late, my imagination is already going mad.

I wonder how they can do it without sending electric blasts to each other. Or perhaps it is enjoyable when you do it during… I don't know, I never experimented very much with my current body, I miss the other one too much. And I would be hard for me to find someone willing to try. When you ask the average girl what kind of guy she likes, she hardly ever answers: "_mute, winged, looks like a tiger_".

One hour passes, I half fall asleep and I'm having a very particular dream: my ex Lisa is in front of me, naked. I go to kiss and embrace her but she hits me with an electric blast and… I wake up. Even when I dream, everything goes wrong for me.

Then I realize that Maggie is in the room, drinking a glass of milk. I remember about the phone call and I give her the mobile phone. She nods, wishes me good night and I think it's really time for me to go to bed (before my imagination goes mad in front of _her_). I hope I will have more enjoyable dreams.

_Talon_. Three messages from Elisa! What does she want? "_Hi bro, can you phone me as soon as possible_?" "_Derek, what on earth are you doing? I've got to talk to you_!" "_Derek, seriously, we must talk. It's about Beth…_" I don't listen to the other messages. I phone. She picks it up and I shout: "_Elisa, WHAT happened to Beth?"_  Did she have an accident, is she in hospital again? Elisa answers: "_Nothing, I hope. Is she near you_?"

"_No, it's her night off. She must be at mom and dad's. What do you mean, 'nothing, I hope'? Is her… disease worsening?"_

_"Sorry, I forgot that she wasn't in the Labyrinth tonight. Good, I'll tell you later."_

_"Oh, no.__ You're not going to tell me later. Either you explain me everything on the phone, or you come and tells me the whole story here but I'm not going to stay home and sleep when a member of my family is possibly in danger!_" I hear her sighing. That's the problem with elder sisters: sometimes they just act as if they knew everything better than you. "_She's not in danger_", she says. "_But… yes, I'm coming_." I hang up. Maggie looks at me, worried, and asks if there's something wrong. I wish I knew it.

**One hour later**

Goliath is with Elisa, his face unreadable. Without a word, she gives me a piece of paper, a photocopy, and I start reading. It looks like my father's writing.

Dear Beth,

Don't be surprised to read this letter from me. I can't leave the place where I am but someone else can. I heard about the accident that happened to you and I am deeply sorry. I wish I could help you: you, your sister and your father helped me once and I am really grateful to all of you.

Unfortunately, I can't do anything to help you because I am not supposed to interfere in human matters. I didn't make the law and I can't break it. I can't use magic to heal you. Don't ask me to tell you about the following chemical formula Asclepius told me about (_a whole sentence was hidden but it was obviously complete on the original paper_). I'm not supposed to tell you that anyone who uses this antidote shall swallow 2.21 mg of it on an empty stomach and shall not drink coffee during the following nine months. It's quite slow but efficient, except for the possible stretch marks. I'm sorry but I can't help you. Don't try to join me on Avalon, Beth, I like you very much but I can't help you.

Say hello to your family from me, though. Oh, and perhaps it would be fair to find a way to reward Laurel and Hardy, they had a hard time recently.

SaM is still waiting for you.

Kind regards,

Coyote.

_Maggie._ What does this gibberish mean? I know about Asclepius, of course, he's the Greek god of medicine. And Beth told me about her Sam, once. According to Elisa, Laurel and Hardy are probably the two people who gave her the message. She describes the interview the gargoyles gave. Then she says that the original letter probably contains the formula of an antidote and that it is a gift from Coyote to Beth. And she carries on with a story about a Hopi supernatural being she met in Arizona. When I ask her why he can't make her grow up directly, she says something else about bending the laws when you cannot break them. And it goes on. And on.

It's the most complicated story I have ever heard. I'm getting a bit tired, all the more so since Derek and I have just had a lot of _exercise_ (I would have never believed that electric blasts could be that erogenous). Derek doesn't seem tired, though. He gets angry and says this must be a joke, it can't be serious, he doesn't believe in fairies and no one is going to test possibly dangerous chemicals on his little sister, she has already suffered enough. And who's that Sam, by the way?

Why does he react this way? Oh dear, I think I know what's wrong. Derek told me that he was very close to his sisters when he was a child. Beth was the baby, the most vulnerable one, he used to protect her and he liked it because he felt strong and important. Now she's back in New York, where he can see her every day, and they got closer recently. His current body gives him power, her own body makes her powerless and perhaps he doesn't realize it but he likes it this way. He wants it to carry on. He's just an overprotective big brother who refuses to see his younger sister grow up!

Goliath interrupts him to say that dangerous or not, this will be Beth's decision. My boyfriend agrees reluctantly and Goliath and Elisa leave. I go back to bed. So, there would be an antidote to the VAL002? Is it possible?

It would be so great for Beth but… oh, why would she be the only one who would have her real appearance back? Why her and not me? It would be so unfair! I wish so badly Dr Bonnot could find the antidote to my disease. Derek is starting to snore at my side. I'm so happy he is here to support me.

**The day after**

_Beth Maza_. Elisa showed me the letter. I read it about ten times and it took me a while to understand what it really meant. I've been locked in that twelve-year-old body for about five months, sometimes it feels like a nightmare. No way to drive a car or to see some movies alone or to have sex… I've been told that Valeria Gregarino's 'disease' is curing naturally but I haven't taken even a quarter of an inch. And now this letter…

Can it be a joke? No, the person who wrote it used two capital letters to write my beloved's name. SaM. It was our secret code, we never told anybody, only a magical being could know that. Normally I would be enraged by the fact that we have been spied on but if it means there's a cure to my damn disease… Oh, my god.

It's weird: I am chronologically twenty-one, I look really younger but I feel older, much older than before I swallowed that poisoned coffee. I had an easy life before, my only worry was whether I would get graduated and with which marks. Now I talk to homeless people every day, people who were born flat broke, some of them don't know what it means to sleep in a bed or to eat every day. When someone asks me how the clones' reading lessons are going, I want to answer that _I_ am learning.

I'm learning. And I'm forgetting, at the same time. I only have vague memories of the college in Flagstaff. Even Sam is fading away, vanishing in the chaos my brain has become. There is this night we spent together in the middle of the desert when the car broke down. It was our first time, our bodies had never met together before. It was so good… But I can only remember that it was good, I can't get the details. Did the stars shone bright on that night or is it only my imagination? This smell, was it the sand, or Sam's skin, or both? And was it really our first time or had we already done it in my room before? And, worst of all, could I still do it again or am I forgetting everything?

Elisa knocks at my door and enters. She wants to know if I am all right and I don't know what to answer. She asks me who is on the photo I am watching. "_It was Sam and me just before I left._" She looks puzzled. "_Your__ Sam? But it's a girl_!" I have to laugh. "_Sam is shorter for Samantha, as well as I am shorter for Beth_." She's not shocked. After all, her boyfriend is seven-feet-tall and has clawed hands, what's wrong if my beloved is a girl? "_Do you miss her_?" Yes, I awfully miss her, but I miss me, too. On the first days of my mutation, I used to look for my bra when I got dressed and then to remember that I couldn't fill one anymore. Now it's just like I never wore a bra, although the photo I am watching tells me the contrary. It's weird. And it's scary. "_Elisa, I think I want to take the risk_."

"_We don't have the formula yet_", she explains. "_I have to ask Laurel and Hardy, I mean, the persons who gave me the letter_."

"_How did they get it_?" She really doesn't know. She thinks the trickster has been using them, poor ones. He took an enormous risk, by the way. Did he expect them to publish the text in a newspaper? And now the journalists are rewarded: they have been able to make a nice article that will probably have a lot of success. I wonder if we shouldn't tell them the truth, anyway. My sister doesn't agree. She thinks they wouldn't be able to keep the secret. And I finally give up.

Being an adult again, it looks like a dream... but, I'll have stretch marks? Oh, I'd better take the risk.

**Two days later**

_David Xanatos_. Things have changed recently, with the eggs and Maya in the castle. I've offered to protect the eggs by day, of course: it's the best way to have the gargoyles carry on protecting my son. And I don't mind Maya at all: she looks gentle and not extraordinarily bright, and she seems to quite like Alex, which is always better than having another Demona in the castle. I heard that she has come here with the Phoenix Gate, which sounds interesting. I will find a way to get this talisman back.

I have heard that little Beth Maza wants Dr Bonnot to stop the research on her. She says that she's fed up and that the mutates are the priority. Quite surprising. I sent spies to investigate on that matter and they found out that detective Maza recently contacted one journalist called Michael Harker several times. He is a former Quarryman and a P.I.T. member, seems to know things that could be interesting, is said to be discouragingly honest but has some money problems.

My spies also told me that Peter Maza recently had a drink with a friend of his, a chemist engineer he had not seen for years. Man, this is getting interesting…

_To be continued…_


	3. Only a crush?

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated.

Many thanks to Hardwing and Storyseeker for their advice and suggestions.

_Four_

_Only a crush_

Author: NotreDame ()

_Previously, on Gargoyles:_

Broadway: "Angela, I just wanna say we're really sorry."

Brooklyn: "Yeah, we were actin' like a bunch of jerks."

Lexington: "From now on, we'll just, uh, you know, back off."

Angela: "Don't back off, just slow down. I like all three of you, but if anything is gonna happen, it'll happen in its own time."

_"Turf"_

When Elisa went back home that night, she pinned the drawing of the castle over her bed. She couldn't help feeling some kind of a twinge of sorrow when she though of little Demie, cuddled in Angela's arms. Why? because she wanted to have a child, too? No, she though. With the hectic life I have, there is no place for a baby. And by the way, with which man would I make it? She though of Goliath and smiled. Yes, he would be the one she would choose but it would lead to no child. Don't even think of it, she told herself. Things are what they are.

"_Demie_"

**Sunday, 1 June 1997**

The instructions said one had to wait for fifteen minutes before the result was displayed. Still in her pyjama, Elisa paced up and down nervously. She sat down and Cagney rubbed his head at her ankles, asking for attention. She took him on her lap and scratched his head absent-mindedly. It was the third pregnancy test she had bought this week. The pharmacist had probably thought she was crazy.

Her alarm clock rang. She jumped and looked at the small stick. Unclear. Swearing, she threw it away and got dressed. She had all the symptoms of a pregnancy and it was starting to worry her. How could she be pregnant while she had only done it with Goliath? Was it possible that they were, after all, genetically compatible? Delilah was partly gargoyle and partly human, after all. But she was not born naturally. Or could it not be a pregnancy but something else? Something much more serious?

And if she was _really_ pregnant, how was she going to tell the news to Goliath? How was he going to react? Would he suspect her of having cheated on him?

Elisa sat down, her head in her hands. She couldn't afford to get pregnant, with her hectic life and all her responsibilities. And though, she couldn't help imagining how it felt to care for a baby. How did it feel to rock it, give it its baby bottle, sing it lullabies? How did it feel to hear this tiny little thing call you "mommy" and to watch its first steps and…

And that point, Elisa realised that if she was _really_ pregnant with Goliath's baby, she was also likely to watch one's first glide one day. No, one night. Was her child going to turn into stone by day? How on earth was she going to send him/her to school?

Perhaps he/she wouldn't go to school. As hatchlings belong to the whole clan, her child would probably be raised with the Mayan eggs and… oh, was she going to have a baby or to lay an egg?

Finally, detective Maza decided to take an appointment by her doctor. Perhaps it was just a late period, after all.

**Later, on the rooftops**

Angela and Maya were on patrol together. It was a quiet night and Angela was taking advantage of the fact that they were alone to ask her new sister questions she would have never dared asking other clan members. Gynaecologic questions. Maya was answering them politely, a bit dumbfounded by the fact that Angela didn't know, for example, how many months a pregnancy lasted. "I and Arch have been raised by humans" explained Angela again. "They were very good parents but there were things they couldn't teach us."

"Like gliding?" Angela laughed. "We learnt it without their help. I think we probably imitated the seagulls." They could see the sea from their rooftop. Maya had to admit that it was quite a beautiful sight. She still found the buildings ugly and the lack of trees depressing but the ocean was beautiful. "How many people live in this city?" she asked.

"Twenty millions, I think." Maya sighed inwardly. "In my former clan we were about seventy, not counting the eggs. We hardly ever saw humans."

"What happened to your clan?" the lavender gargess asked curiously. Maya pulled a wry face and Angela apologized quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to remind you of bad memories."

"I'm not sure to know what happened. There were a few humans who had been living not very far from us for centuries. We had no problems with them. Then other humans came from a big city. Our leader didn't like them. We nearly came into conflicts several times, I don't know why, at that time I was more concerned about our eggs than about humans. I really believed we would never have real problems with them. You know, in my clan, rookery keepers used to sleep in the rookery in turn to protect the eggs. One night, when I awakened in the rookery, I… found everything destroyed except the four ones that are now in the castle. I tried to find a way to the outside but the pyramid had been all demolished and…" The Mayan gargoyle hid her face in her hands. Angela put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry" she said.

"Do you know if the castle is safe? I mean…" Angela nodded. "Your eggs will be safe here."

"_Our_ eggs" corrected Maya. Angela nodded. A few minutes later, she asked again: "I know I shouldn't ask you this question but did you have a mate in the forest?"

"It's Brooklyn who wants to know that?" Goliath's daughter shook her head. "No. I'm sorry about his behaviour, it's just that I'm interested to know."

"Yes, I did. We got mated when we were thirty-seven. He got killed at fifty-three" Maya said so matter-of-factly that Angela was frightened. She sounded like she didn't like him. "I'm sorry" she said.

"Thank you. You know, sometimes I wish I didn't got mated."

"Why? He was mean to you?" Angela asked empathically.

"No" she said dreamily. "At the beginning I really believed I loved him. But I was too young at that time, I didn't realise that it was only a crush. And I wanted to make an egg, too. Believe it or not, laying the egg was more enjoyable than conceiving it." Angela closed her eyes. She was still a virgin as Broadway and her were still desperately looking for a place where they could do it without being bothered, and the idea that mating was not something enjoyable didn't cheer her up. Her new sister smiled. "Don't look so shocked, most of my sisters told me they loved, err, doing it. I think you're lucky with your Broadway."

"I know. But…" There was a question she was burning to ask but it sounded intrusive. "Your mate…"

"Why did he choose me?"

"Yes."

"All the beautiful females were either already mated, or less stupid than me" Maya said bitterly, still watching the sea. Her new sister felt a surge of sympathy. "Maya, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I'm going to be a mother, that's what I always wanted." she said, trying to sound happy. Angela nodded and took mental notice to tell Brooklyn to stop behaving stupidly around their new sister. She had already suffered enough.

**Destine Manor**

Demona landed on the balcony where Archangel was already waiting for her. "You shall not wait for me here" she said sharply. "You could be spotted."

"I like taking risks." The immortal gargoyle had already noticed it. "And where have you been?" Arch asked curiously.

"None of your business." She had been spying on Elisa Maza but she still didn't trust her new pupil enough to tell him about her plans. "Did you train?"

"How did you want me to train, mother? I have been tailed all night long, a stupid concert the Trio wanted me to listen to!" Demona had an unexpected twinge of sorrow. Nobody wanted to invite _her_ to concerts. "It was deeply boring!"

"I suppose so." She made him sit down with her in front of a round table and started the lesson. Soon she got distracted. It was hot in that room and it didn't get much cooler by opening the windows. And Arch looked very much like one of her rookery brother she had a crush on before she fell for Goliath. Perhaps he was his son.

Arch was nervous. He kept failing at his attempts to make a pencil levitate. She got up, put her hands on his shoulders, slipped her fingers under his caped wings and started massaging him. "Calm down" she said. "There is no distance between your mind and the pencil. Concentrate…" Her thumbs were pressing on the lean muscles, enjoying the contact. She made him uncape his wings then massaged his neck. "Stop trying now" she said. "You need a break." Her hands went down on his back, running in a somehow lighter way. She stroke lightly the place the wings joined the back, where the skin was extremely sensitive, then went back to a more neutral way of massaging, and then tickled the most sensitive places again.

He closed his eyes. This woman was extraordinary, what was she doing to him? He enjoyed the unexpected arousal but at the same time, he got frightened. He had the feeling they were doing something forbidden. He usually loved doing forbidden things but this time he had no clue about what was going on; it was Demona who had control of everything. Did she know how he was feeling just now? Had she been doing the same thing with other gargoyles before? He caught a glimpse of their reflections in a mirror and shivered: in the semi-darkness, she looked very much like Angela, his rookery sister. He remembered that, in a way, she was his mother, like Princess Katherine. He imagined Katherine touching his back the way Demona was doing it and got sick. This was completely disgusting! "Stop!" he said. "I've had enough of this."

"Are you sure? You don't want a bit more?"

"No… thanks" he said, getting up, trying to get a grip on himself. She shrugged. "Your turn, now" she said, sitting on a stool, in front of the table. It would have been impolite to refuse. Nervously, he put his hands on her shoulders and tried to imitate her. She closed her eyes and guided him: "higher… slower… that's good!"

It was good, indeed. Her stool was in contact with a leg of the table. She moved forward until her crotch touched the leg, waited for a few seconds, and then, very discreetly, made her pelvis oscillate. Arch didn't notice anything. He had received practically no sexual education and didn't know what a clitoris is. The only think he knew was that Demona was starting to contract the muscles of her back in a strange way and that she was breathing faster. "Are you all right?" he asked. She nodded and gasped: "carry on!"

She was getting wet but if kept the right position, she would be able to hide it. Indeed, the tickling feeling between her tights was increasing. She couldn't help thinking that she had been very right to take this kid as an apprentice: perhaps she could teach him some other useful things. She let her imagination wander, remembered all the males she had desired throughout the centuries, including Goliath, the one who had recently turned zoophile. Then she thought about the punishment she had in store for the Maza human and this thought increased her pleasure tenfold. She managed not to whimper when she reached her climax, and then she relaxed at last. It was enough for now. Satisfied, the immortal gargoyle grabbed one of Arch's hands and told him to stop. They had to work on this spell again.

Arch had the feeling he had been deceived. Something very weird had just happened. Demona had been acting strangely, her smell had temporarily _changed_ and he didn't know why. This had been quite enjoyable but had she just cast a spell on him? The situation was not understandable. He wished he could ask someone about it but he couldn't do that without explaining what he had been doing in Destine Manor. For once, he nearly wished he had been a little more cautious.

**Castle Wyvern**

Brooklyn came back, his patrol was over. As usual, he tried to find Maya (his obsession was worsening). Up to now, she hadn't said or even hinted that she was attracted by him but it was obviously because she was too shy. He had a look everywhere and finally found her in the library, where she was reading. She got up when seeing him, bowed briefly and went to leave the room. He stopped her. "Maya, are you leaving because I'm coming in?"

"No!" she lied. "I've got to check the eggs."

"The eggs can take care of themselves. Don't be so shy, Maya (she had been hearing this kind of advice since she was hatched and was getting fed up about it). Couldn't we talk?"

"Angela told me…"

"She told you about me?" he said hopefully, thinking that Angela could have tried to give her a good opinion of him. The Mayan gargoyle shook her head. "She said… well…" and then she got an idea. "We were talking about the eggs. She said it would be nice if one of them looked like my mate (Brooklyn's face fell) because it would mean it is my biological child and… is everyone interested in biological parentage in here?"

"No" he said bitterly, "it's typical from Angela. It's her personal obsession."

"Everyone is obsessed by something" concluded Maya, slowly moving to the door and hoping it would be enough. Unfortunately, the beaked gargoyle was in a very bad mood. He stopped her. "Maya, please, I have the feeling you are always avoiding me. Is there a reason for this?"

"Well…" she blushed a darker red and looked away. She didn't want to tell him how she really felt about him because she never wanted to hurt anybody. Brooklyn misunderstood her blushing and touched her face. "You don't need to say anything. I got it" he said. And he kissed her.

Maya was scared. How dared him? Without thinking, she pushed him back and hit him hard in the face. Then she realised what she had just been doing. "Sorry" she whispered, tears running down her face, "but…" And she turned back and left the room, nearly running.

It was just a kiss, a thoughtless gesture. But the Mayan gargess was way too sensitive for her own good. That kiss had reminded her of other bad moments, of all the times her mate had insisted to have sex when she was not in the mood for it, and of course, it was always her who had to give up, for a lot of "_very good reasons_". She bumped into Broadway and Angela, who noticed her tearful face immediately. They exchanged a look, the aqua gargoyle entered the library and the lavender gargess ran after Maya.

The red gargoyle was pacing up and down among the books, cursing inwardly. He saw Broadway, glared at him, and shouted: "WHAT?"

"Nothing. I'm looking for a recipe book" quickly said Angela's mate. "Oh, and do you happen to know what has just happened to Maya?"

"No idea. This girl is completely mad!" shouted the beaked gargoyle, who was feeling a bit guilty for having kissed her but who did not want to avow that he had been wrong in front of his mated brother. Broadway shrugged and started searching among the shelves. "Well… perhaps you misunderstood her" he risked. "She's a very sensitive person, and perhaps telling her straight ahead that you want to do something with her is a bit…"

"Me, doing something with her? She never says anything, she's the incarnation of blandness! I could do something with someone interesting but with her, no way!" he shouted like mad. Broadway sighed, took three books and went to leave the room. Next second, Angela burst into the library, eyes blazing red, and slapped Brooklyn hard in the face.

Stunned he stared at her. Why did all the females become suddenly hysterical? "Jalapeña, Angie, what…"

"DON'T call me Angie!"

"Are you crazy?"

"And don't call HER the incarnation of blandness!"

"How do you know?" he asked, abashed.

"We were in the bathroom next door and we heard you!"

I'll never have a mate, thought Brooklyn. And she's going to hate me forever. The situation has been getting worse and worse all evening long but now it couldn't possibly worsen. I shouldn't have called her like that, that's right. I was angry and words slipped out of my mouth. It's just that I don't understand her. What does she want? How can you have a talk with someone who runs away every time you enter the same room?

I'm useless with girls, that's all. I'd better do nothing at all, it would just make things worse. "Angela, please, can you go and comfort her?"

"That's what I was about to do" Angela retorted before leaving the room. The two males found themselves alone and the red one picked up the book Maya had been reading. It was a dictionary. "She reads this kind of things?" he asked no one in particular.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about her" observed Broadway.

"Yes, but, a dictionary…"

"Perhaps she finds it easier to ask a question to a book than to a gargoyle" he supposed. "There are a lot of things she doesn't understand in Manhattan, she may look for the answers here."

"Do you think there's a book that can help you understand girls?" Broadway shrugged. He had never needed to learn social skills in a book and was uneasy about explaining his brother this kind of things. "Do you really care for her?" he asked.

"I went to save her in that pyramid."

"Yes, and you're not interested because she's an available female with a pretty face."

"Broadway, I think I love her!" he said, scandalized.

"Sure. And what do you love in her, except the way she looks?" The beaked gargoyle was speechless. He tried to think about it while Broadway was leaving the room but he was getting more and more confused. He wasn't even sure to know how he felt about her.

Angela entered the room. "We have a problem" she said. "She's not in the castle."

"Oh. Do you know where she is?"

"Probably Central Park or the haven but that's not the problem. Brooklyn, do you know…"

"Yes!" he interrupted. "Don't be a moralist, I'm going to apologize."

"You?" the lavender gargess asked. This was most surprising: Brooklyn was a great person but his pride was perhaps his biggest weakness.

"Yes. I acted like a fool _again_ so that's the thing to do, isn't it?" She nodded. "I bet on Central Park" she said. "It's the place that looks the more like a forest to her."

**The Labyrinth**

Beth put the books aside. "I think we've worked enough for tonight" she said to the clones. "I'll give you your corrected homework in a few days." One by one, her pupils got up and left. She did the same thing and went to one of the entrances. According to the clones, her brother was very busy and she had better say him goodbye another night. Elisa had phoned her earlier, saying she would pick her up at the end of the lesson instead of letting a clone or a mutate bringing her back home. This had never happened before. Yawning, Beth hoped her sister wouldn't be too late. The antidote was efficient, she has begun to grow up and fill out back but it was also slightly painful, it made her hungry and the sudden surge of hormones had unexpected side-effects.

A few minutes later, she was sitting in the seat next to the driver, in Elisa's red Fairlane. "So", she said, "is there something you want to tell me?"

"Yes. It will be soon mom's birthday and I was wondering if you had an idea about what to give her."

"She told me about a legends' book last week. The author's name is Lane, Bane, Lame or something like that. I'll check." The currently biologically 13-year-old girl looked at her sister sideways. "You look uneasy."

"It's just stomach pains."

"I know about it!" Beth said happily. "My periods came back yesterday!"

"Congratulations!" Elisa wished the same thing had happened to her. "Listen, can you keep a secret?" Her sister nodded. "I'm still not sure about it but I think I may be pregnant."

Beth opened wide eyes. "I thought you and Goliath…"

"Yes. Only with him. I don't know how but apparently, it worked!"

"You didn't… protect yourselves?"

"Gargoyles are protected against diseases by their stone sleep. And as for the pill, I didn't know that I could get pregnant with him!" explained Elisa, feeling weird about talking contraception with a lesbian who looked like a very young teenager. "Did you and your Samantha protect yourselves?"

"Of course, but that's not the point. Elisa, honestly, what do you want to do if you are…"

"I don't know." The car stopped at traffic lights. "I don't know if I can cope with a baby and…"

"Mommy coped with three babies, you know."

"She's a teacher. I'm a cop, it's slightly more dangerous."

"So cops shouldn't be allowed to have babies?" Elisa shook her head. Captain Chavez herself had a little girl. But there were several components in this problem. "He'd only see his father at nights… maybe. And how would he be raised, like a human or like a gargoyle? And can I afford to make a baby now?"

"WHEN can you afford to make a baby? One day you have no time for it, the next day, you'll say you're too old!" Beth stopped suddenly, regretting what she had just said. "Sorry, I didn't mean it, it's just…" It was just her hormones flowing back: she was going through a second adolescence crisis. Elisa sighed.

"Maybe you're right. But how am I going to tell Goliath about it?"

"Darling, tell your daughter she's going to have a half-brother?" Elisa smiled. Beth insisted. "Tell Delilah she's going to have a… I don't know what but it's loosely related to her."

"Mom, Dad, here's your grandson or granddaughter" added the elder sister. "Oh, how are they going to react?"

"I think Mom is going to bully Goliath into marrying you, to legitimate the kid" the younger one said, half-joking.

"Good. You will be my bridesmaid."

"You won't make me wear anything pink, frilly or ridiculous" she retorted. "Oh, by the way, how am I going to tell them that _I_ can't get married?"

"They don't know yet?"

"It's not easy. I know, _their_ marriage has been criticized but when it happens to you, it's never easy…"

Elisa parked her car in front of the building where her parents lived. After a hug, the two sisters parted apart and Elisa decided to go back to work. Or to drop at the Eyrie building, maybe.

**Central Park**

Brooklyn was preparing his sentences. _Maya I shouldn't have behaved this way. I talked without thinking. I don't want you to consider me as a… Maya I think you may have a bad opinion of me… you MUST have a bad opinion of me… Please, I'm not like this usually._ No sentence sounded really good. Apologizing to Angela after having treated her like a price to win had been relatively easy: he had done it at the same time as his rookery brothers and Angela was strong-minded enough not to burst into tears all the time. On the other hand, Maya was completely unpredictable.

 Then he heard a female voice, silently got closer and finally saw the Mayan gargoyle sitting under a tree. He couldn't see the person she was talking to. "You know" she said, "sometimes I think I would run away from this place, were it not for the eggs. But they need a clan." She got up and looked at the tree, an oak. She looked fragile and lonely, a bit lost, and the beaked gargoyle was moved by this sight. "I need a clan, too. Like a tree needs a forest. Where would I go?"

Who was she talking to? Curiously, Brooklyn stepped forward and stepped on a twig, breaking it. Maya jumped, saw him and walked away as calmly as she could.

Has he heard her talking alone? The pale red gargoyle was feeling deeply humiliated. As a hatchling, she had taken the habit to talk to trees whenever she felt sad or lonely, and she had never really gotten over this childish habit, even though she was ashamed of it. And he had spied on her in this ridiculous situation! Couldn't that gargoyle stop bringing her down? She hated him!

"Maya! Please, wait a minute, just a minute, I'm sorry."

"WHAT?!" she nearly shouted.

"I acted like… wait. I'd prefer to say this to you alone."

"We _are_ alone."

"Who were you talking to?" She didn't answer. "Oh, right" he said. "Better talking to a tree than to me, trees are less stupid than me. I want to tell you that I'm sorry, I acted like a boor!" She turned her back to him but he could see by the move of her shoulders that she was in the verge of tears. "Mr Pine!" he called out, "tell her that I regret everything!"

"It's an oak, I think" she retorted.

"Right. Mr Oak, tell Maya that I'm sorry."

"He's telling you to go away."

"Yes. And he's also telling me that I'm the most bloody stupid person in the face of earth and that I should throw myself into the loo and flush."

Maya nearly smiled in spite of herself. Brooklyn was scary but at least he had a sense of humor. "I could have done without the last part of the sentence" she noticed.

"Yes. It wouldn't do any good to the bathroom. Will you forgive me?"

Maya wasn't sure of it. He had been really amazingly clumsy and tactless, and he had really hurt her. But on the other hand, he hadn't meant it and was obviously sorry. "Yes" she finally said. "When the eggs will hatch, they will need a close clan."

"From now on, I'll just back off" he added, hoping she would react like Angela and tell him to just slow down. But she nodded. "It would be a good idea, yes."

His heart jumped. He was losing another hope to have a mate. But he couldn't change what he had just said and anyway, perhaps things were better this way. Perhaps learning to see the person in Maya was going to be more interesting than getting mated with the first available female he would meet. When he left the park later, Brooklyn had the feeling he had learnt something.

**Elisa's apartment, three weeks later**

Goliath stepped into Elisa's bedroom. She had sound worried on the phone. He saw her sitting on her bed, sorting papers out. She got up when she saw him and they kissed, his wings wrapped around her, but he couldn't help noticing how weary she looked. "Elisa, is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Not exactly wrong. But there is something I should have told you earlier." She was holding something that looked like a medical report. He frowned. "Are you sick?" She laughed. "No. but this will be quite a shock for you, I'm afraid so. This is the results of my amniocentesis." She cuddled against him. "You're going to be a father again, Goliath, I'm afraid so."

"I know, the eggs will hatch in a few months" answered Goliath, who had no clue about what an amniocentesis is. Suddenly, Elisa wanted to cry. "I'm pregnant with your child, big guy! In the lab, they said it has fifty per cent of non-human chromosomes. I didn't know that it was possible…"

Stunned, Goliath sat on the bed, took her on his lap and started stroking her hair. "Neither did I" he whispered. He kept silent for a long moment and finally asked: "So, what are you going to do?"

"Keeping it, I suppose." She kissed him on the cheek. "Beth knows, she's looking forward to be an aunt. I told Derek too, I'm afraid he was a bit disturbed first but he doesn't mind about a baby now. I still have to tell my parents."

"I'll tell the clan too. Elisa, every child born is a miracle." She nodded and wondered aloud how her parents were going to react. He protested. After all, she was twenty-eight and didn't need to ask her mom and dad the permission to make a baby. He put a hand on her stomach and thought about the tiny life that was developing here, the tiny little being that was going to be a baby, _their_ baby. He was so moved that he had the feeling time had stopped. He stroked her hair again, and then kissed her forehead, then her lips. A few moments later, they were embraced on the bed, momentarily forgetting everything about babies, eggs, and their everynight lives. They would worry about the future another night.

_To be continued…_


	4. Kidnapper

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated.

Many thanks to Hardwing and Storyseeker for their advice and suggestions.

_Four_

_Kidnapper_

Author: NotreDame ()

_Previously, on Gargoyles:_

Lexington looked away. "Do… you mind (me being gay)?" he finally said. "I won't make advances to you, you're my brother", he hurriedly added. "But…"

Brooklyn: "I'm a bit surprised, brother. But it's a good thing for me. It means there will be more girls for me."

_"The longest night"_

Elisa: "I'm pregnant with your child, big guy! In the lab, they said it has fifty per cent of non-human chromosomes. I didn't know that it was possible…"

Goliath: "Elisa, every child born is a miracle."

"_Only a crush_"

**Destine Manor, Saturday, 28 July 1997**

Demona was getting tired of Archangel. The kid had been fun at the beginning but now he was getting more and more stubborn, learning only the half of his lessons (which was not that bad, maybe), refusing to tell her anything about the clan and letting her touch his back only every other time she asked him. He just said he was not in the mood for being massaged. In fact, he was uneasy about the way he felt and the way she behaved in those moments. It was as if she was about to tell him to take off his loincloth and mate, and he wasn't even sure to know the meaning of this word. It was an unknown, uncanny territory that was both attractive and frightening.

"You're afraid of her being jealous?" finally asked the immortal gargoyle.

"Who? Angela?" he retorted. "Well, according to gargoyle ways, I am your descendant as well as she is and I have the right to have a little time with you."

"I'm not talking about Angela but about the other one" she said matter-of-factly. "The skinny red girl."

"There is no skinny red girl." Arch enjoyed his magic lessons at Destine Manor and loved the feeling he was doing something forbidden and possibly dangerous but on the other hand, telling Demona about things she was not supposed to know was a bit too much.

"There _is_ a red girl" Demona answered stubbornly. If she came from a foreign clan, it was possible that there were other gargoyles that could be of use. "I saw her. Where is she from?"

"No idea." Demona sighed and decided to try something else. "It's hot, here, don't you think?" And before he had time to worry about what she was going to do to him, she got up and left the room. One minute later, she came back with a tray and two glasses of ice-tea. "Drink" she said, giving him a glass.

Arch should have been more careful. He could have guessed that accepting a drink from a sorceress can lead to anything, all the more so since she had lectured him on potions a few nights before. But he just took the glass and drank. Next second, he was lying on the floor.

She knelt at his side. "What's my name?" she asked.

"Demona." She smiled. Apparently the truth potion was efficient. "Who is the red gargess in your clan?"

"Maya."

"Where does she come from?"

"Guatemala." Demona frowned. She didn't know that there were gargoyles in Guatemala. "Are there other gargoyles from her clan in New York City?" Arch didn't answer. The truth potion made its victims answer any question but he wasn't sure if eggs counted as gargoyles. Demona wondered if the effects of the potion were not fading away and asked another question. She needed to know if she could corrupt this _Maya_ too. "What kind of person is she?"

"Shy. Never talks very much. Spends a lot of time in the rookery."

A _rookery_? This was getting interesting. "Where is this rookery, are there eggs inside and where do they come from?"

"It is inside the castle, between the kitchen and the library. There are eggs inside, they came with Maya."

"How many? When will they hatch?"

"Four. They will hatch in a few months."

Demona stepped back. Her breath was taken away. So gargoyle eggs were about to hatch in Manhattan? How astonishing! But they were going to hatch in a place Xanatos could reach them? Demona thought hard. "How well-guarded is the rookery?" she asked.

"There is an alarm system. And two cameras. And there is often someone inside."

Demona sighed. "How comes the gargoyles who enter the rookery don't set the alarm on?"

"There is a special system with digital prints. To enter the rookery, you have to be clan."

"Good." The effects of the truth potion were starting to wear off: the young gargoyle was blinking. "Arch, you're going to bring me one of those eggs."

"What?" The stone-colored gargoyle tried to think normally. "What… happened?"

"You're going to bring me one of those eggs" she repeated. "Didn't anybody in the clan tell you what kind of person Xanatos really is?"

"Yes, but…"

"What do you think he will do with the eggs?" she added maddeningly. "He may steal them away when the clan is in stone sleep, enslave them, genetically modify them… Do you want to take this risk?"

Arch cringed. Treating hatchlings this way was unacceptable, indeed! But on the other hand… "Goliath trusts Xanatos, now."

"He's fooled. He only wants to believe what is most comfortable for him. Please…" her face took a supplicating expression. "Save the eggs. Bring one of them to me."

"Why only one?" he asked, still a bit suspicious.

"Retrieving more than one at a time would be too dangerous. But I swear you, we will be able to save them all, sooner or later."

Arch agreed reluctantly and left Destine Manor.

**23dr Precinct, Friday, 17th August 1997**

A drink party was held for Elisa Maza. She had finally told Captain Chavez that she was going to have a baby, and she had reacted very well. Unfortunately, a rookie had been standing by the door and had heard everything. He hadn't told anybody about it, no. Well, only his best friend. And his friend was not the kind of spreading the news to the whole precinct, no, only to three trustworthy people. And so on.

So one hour after, everybody knew that Detective Maza, who was known to be single and have no boyfriend at all, was going to be a mother. Some people suspected Detective Bluestone until he was asked about the affair and explained he didn't even know that Elisa was pregnant. Two opportunists went to the nearest grocery and came back with a few packs of soft drinks (no alcohol for cops on duty or mothers-to-be). And the future birth of the baby Maza was discreetly celebrated.

"I bet it will be a beautiful baby, eh?" asked the rookie who had heard the news first. "With a mother like you…" Elisa didn't answer. "Boy or girl?"

"I don't know, it will be a surprise." In fact the amniocentesis was undecipherable and Elisa really wondered how the kid would look like. The clan had been really surprised but everyone had congratulated her, saying a birth was always a good thing.

On the other hand, her parents had had the shock of their lives. She had announced them the news during a family meal, taking so many oral precautions that they had wondered if she was going to tell them about the end of the world. Derek and Beth had helped her as well as they could but Elisa knew they were still a bit uncomfortable about it. However, she had gotten closer to her mother, who now regularly told her about her past pregnancies and bullied her into stopping eating junk food and getting more sleep. Did she want to have a healthy baby or not?

She left the precinct at the end of the unofficial party and saw that Bluestone had been waiting for her outside. "A baby, eh?" he asked. "Do I know the father?"

She didn't answer immediately but it was not difficult to guess. They exchanged a few words. Matt was as surprised as everyone but ready to support her if anything happened, as a good friend. When she went back home hours later, Elisa had the feeling everything was going to get much smoother than she expected.

She was awakened by stomach pains late on the following morning. First, she thought about a diarrhea or something similar. And she had been eating only 'dietetically correct' food for months! How unfair, she never got stomach pains before she got pregnant!

Feverishly, Elisa grabbed one of the many pregnancy books she had been offered lately. They said nothing about one's stomach getting more sensitive but a word attracted her attention: 'miscarriage'. It was getting worrying. The raven-haired detective considered visiting her gynaecologist after breakfast but after a few steps in her bedroom, she felt so nauseous that she renounced to her meal. The doctor would be her priority.

**Castle Wyvern, sunset**

The nine gargoyles awakened, sending bits of stone skin in all directions. After the usual greetings, they all went to attend their affairs before breakfast. Arch tried to slip into the rookery before everyone but Maya had already preceded him. So he waited, hidden somewhere in the corridor. Then Lexington entered it, too. He waited again. They left the room together, silent. Lex saw him and told him to come with them: they were about to have breakfast. Cursing inwardly, Arch followed them, wondering when he would finally be able to have a hand on an egg.

Nobody seemed to have guessed what he was up to. The Trio was talking about what they were going to wear on Halloween. It was more than a month too early but they didn't mind: they hadn't been able to celebrate it the previous year and were looking forward to be able to walk freely in the street like two years before. It had been cool, except for Fox turning unexpectedly into a wild monster and threatening the passer-bys.

A few moments later, the schedule of the patrols being decided, Goliath and Hudson left with Bronx, Broadway and Angela went to the library and Brooklyn started explaining a puzzled Maya the principles of Halloween. Talking with each other had become amazingly easy for them since he had renounced to the hope of having her as a mate. Arch found himself alone with Lexington, who quickly went to switch on his computer.

The stone-colored gargoyle followed him. He needed to know a few things that only the web-winged gargoyle could tell him. "Err, Lex?" he asked. "I was wondering about one thing."

"Yes?"

"What would happen if there was a blackout or an electricity problem? The rookery wouldn't be safe any more?"

"Please!" Lex moaned. "You are the fourth person who asks me this question! The alarm system of the rookery works on an independent battery! The only way to steal the eggs would be entering the control room and switching off the system and the cameras. And even if someone would do that, how would he know about the eggs?"

"You're right" Arch said with a grin. "Something new on the net?"

"Maybe." Arch pretended to leave while Lex was entering a chat room. Then he stepped back curiously. What was Lex doing so often on the chat rooms? Silently, he stood behind the green gargoyle and read.

LONELYSOUL:         want to see u 1 day

LEX:                           or 1 night

LONELYSOUL:         free on haloween?

LEX:                           will be with my bros but will find a way to meet u

LONELYSOUL:         already chosen ur costum?

LEX:                           yes gargoyle

LONELYSOUL:         u too? every1 will be a gargoye.

Arch laughed inwardly. So Lex was chatting with friends who didn't even know who (or what) he was? Well, he was probably going to have a funny Halloween night. But the next sentences attracted his attention.

LONELYSOUL:         how many bros do u have?

LEX:                           2 bros and adopted siblings.

LONELYSOUL:         I only have 1 sis. Do they now ur gay?

LEX:                           one bro knows and doesn't mind.

Gay? Lexington was _gay_? One of those guys who stooped so low as to do dirty things with other guys? It was completely impossible! He did NOT look like a fag! And anyway, someone has told him that he had wooed Angela when she had arrived in Manhattan so he couldn't possibly be gay. Why was he lying to this guy? To make him go back to the right ways?

Suddenly, Lexington noticed that he was being watched. He quickly typed "must go now, bye" and turned to the grey gargoyle. They looked at each other in silence for a while.

"You have weird hobbies" Arch said finally.

"What, chatting on the internet?"

"Chatting with that kind of people. There's a child in this castle, you're giving him a fine example!"

Lex's eyes nearly glowed. "Alex can't read yet!" he retorted. "And even if he could, we were only talking. I can't see what wrong with it!"

"Oh, don't pretend to be stupid. What were the two of you talking about?"

"None of your business."

At that point, Broadway and Angela entered the room, intrigued by the noise. Arch went to them. "What do you think about inverts?" he asked sharply.

"You probably mean gay people" suggested his rookery sister. "Well, I don't mind them."

"Neither do I" added her mate.

Lexington felt suddenly better. Stunned, the stone-colored gargoyle tried to find his words. "What? Well, Angela, remember what the Magus used to say to us. This kind of behaviour is against nature, it's dirty, completely abnormal! We are supposed to mate to make children!"

"Arch" Angela answered, embarrassed, "the Magus was a great person but he couldn't be always right, everyone makes mistakes. He also told us that the Earth was as flat as a DVD, remember. And, well, he himself never made children."

"Don't tell me you're a dyke!"

"Don't tell me you're a homophobe!" hurled Brooklyn who had just entered the room, followed by Maya. "If we were supposed to breed and nothing else, nobody would mate outside the breeding periods!"

Boiling inwardly, Arch glanced at Brooklyn, Angela, Broadway and Lex successively, and finally walked to Maya. "You say nothing!" he nearly shouted. "What do you think?"

The Mayan gargoyle stepped back, intimidated, and looked at the floor. "Well… it was very well-accepted in my former clan" she said hesitantly.

"What do YOU think?"

"I think they're… normal, like us" she finished, nearly crying. The beaked gargoyle stepped in front of her. "So you're going to calm down now, boy" he told Arch.

"No way! You're just a bunch of…"

"Arch, please!" interrupted Angela, taking him by the arms and trying to make him sit down. "The Magus had his opinion about homosexual people. It happens that…"

"How dare you say his name?" he shouted. "You didn't care for him! Nobody cared for him!"

"How can you say such a thing?" she asked, hurt. "Of course I cared…"

"What was his _name_?"

Angela stood speechless. She had never asked the Magus what his real name was, like a child who believes his parents were christened 'Mom' and 'Dad'. Arch looked down at her scornfully. "What a great daughter you've been…" he whispered, just before leaving the room.

The lavender gargess realized that she was crying silently. How could her brother say such things? She had felt destroyed when she had seen her foster father die! Her mate embraced her and Maya silently handed her a box of tissues. "How can this jerk be so attached to a male and despise everyone who's not completely straight?" Brooklyn wondered aloud angrily.

"He's like that" Angela explained. "He has always been a bit… special. But I didn't believe…"

"He has no excuse for speaking this way!"

Broadway nodded at him approvingly. Suddenly, Lexington realized that everyone was looking at him. The truth dawned upon the green gargoyle. "You know?" he asked cautiously.

"Well, you are not very good at hiding it" Angela said apologetically. "This TV show you want to watch whatever happens, your reaction when we saved those two men attacked by homophobes…"

"Why didn't you tell us, by the way?" Broadway asked. "It's completely OK for us!"

"As long as you're happy, bro…" Brooklyn added, patting him on the back. Maya just smiled shyly. Lex beamed at them all. Everything was turning out to be _perfect_!

Had Lexington known what was going on at the same moment, he wouldn't have been that optimistic. At the same moment, Arch was deactivating the alarm system of the rookery. One moment later, he was gliding to Destine Manor, a gargoyle egg clutched in his arms, decided never to step into Castle Wyvern again.

**Destine Manor, Thursday, 30 August 1997**

The stolen egg had been put into a room where there were even more alarm systems than in Castle Wyvern. Demona kept making projects about what she was going to make with him/her. She seemed perfectly happy. Arch was much less cheerful. Somehow, he had the feeling that he may have done something wrong by giving Demona the egg but he didn't want to admit it. And he missed the life in the castle. Demona was less cool than Brooklyn, less good-natured than Broadway, less funny than Lexington… well, Lex was an invert but perhaps he could be cured, after all. It was not completely his fault if he was like that.

He was 'in charge' this night. Demona had "something important to do" and she hadn't told him what. This was going to be another boring night.

**The rooftop of Elisa's apartment**

Demona was waiting. The Maza human was about to go out and take her cat back into the apartment, like every night. The immortal gargoyle saw the human stepping onto the balcony. A few moments later, Goliath landed in front of her and they embraced, his wings wrapped around her. He had had the same gestures for her hundreds of times, one thousand years before, but she couldn't feel anything any more when she thought of it. Goliath had been meddling with humans, even taking a human mate. She couldn't have any esteem for someone who did such repulsive things.

She took the bag of powder at her belt and suddenly hesitated. What if Angela learnt about what she was about to do? Her daughter had that unexplainable liking for that Maza human. She didn't want to hurt Angela. But, well, her daughter would never know what she was about to do. Everyone would probably conclude to a biological problem. And perhaps one day, she would manage to show Angela how evil humans are.

Demona threw a handful of powder on Elisa and whispered a few words in Latin. Neither the human, nor her mate noticed anything but the blue gargoyle knew it would work. Smiling evilly, she watched the two of them entering the apartment.

"No trace of the egg?" the raven-haired detective asked. The lavender gargoyle shook his head. "Nothing." Everyone had been distraught by the unexpected disappearance of the egg and their relationships with the Xanatoses had become more tensed. The clan had been looking for Arch throughout New York City but there was no trace of him. Goliath had been suspecting many people, including Demona, Thailog and Sevarius, and they had tried an attack on Destine Manor (when Angela was busy somewhere else) and Sevarius's place but the security systems and the knowledge that the police would come and get them if they stayed for too long had prevented them from finding anything. Angela had also tried to convince her mother to tell her whatever she knew, in vain. In fact, Goliath secretly hoped it was Demona who had the egg. Arch was an irresponsible kid who would probably become a bad father and Sevarius and Thailog could not possibly treat the to-be hatchling well but Demona had at least a motherly instinct.

"Nothing about us. And you?" he asked, putting a hand on her stomach. "How is our fifth egg doing?"

Elisa laughed. "It's not an egg, it's a baby! Well, it turns to stone by day but never minds."

"Never mind?" Goliath put his enormous hands on Elisa's shoulders. "Elisa, a stone hatchling is way too heavy to be possibly carried by a human. You can't keep this child!"

"This is _our_ child, Goliath. And it's in _my_ body, not in yours. And I intent to carry it whatever happens, even if I have to spend the last months in a wheelchair or something like that." She smiled at him, knowing he wouldn't love her if she was not that stubborn. He had to give up. "Please, my Elisa, be careful…"

"You know what I'd love to do, just now?"

On the rooftop, Demona could hear unarticulated sounds. They had probably begun doing their dirty affair. For the umpteenth time, the immortal gargoyle wondered how a sane gargoyle could be physically attracted by something as ugly as a human at the point of mating. No wings, no tail, those ridiculously small hands… Laughing inwardly, she left the rooftop and glided away into the night.

**Elisa's apartment, the day after**

When Elisa awakened, the room was empty. Goliath was gone. She smiled, remembering the great night they had, and got up, yawning. Her clothes were getting a bit tight and she thought she was going to buy some new ones, just after going to the doctor's. She didn't pay attention to a stomach pain that had become familiar lately.

Unfortunately, her doctor had bad news for her. "I have your X-ray" she said. "I'm afraid the case is even more complicated than I expected."

"Complicated?" Elisa asked, puzzled. What could be more complicated that a foetus with stone-sleep? The doctor sighed. "It appears that your uterus seems to be partly turned into a solid matter. We can't see the foetus through it. It's the first time I see something like this."

Her uterus turned into something solid?! Elisa remembered how the gargoyles' clothes froze into stone with them. Apparently, the same thing was happening to her own body. "It may be mild" she said hesitantly.

"You never noticed anything else?"

"Well, I feel sometimes nauseous and I have stomach pains but it can't be serious, can it?"

"I'm afraid it can." The doctor sighed. "I want you to take an appointment at the hospital as soon as possible." She handed her a piece of paper. "Ask for this doctor and tell him I sent you to him."

Elisa agreed reluctantly. A few minutes later, she was back into her car, completely puzzled. How could this happen? She hoped something normal could happen to her, for a change.

Suddenly, the pain became unbearable. Her vision became troubled and she lost the control of her vehicle. The Fairlane hit a wall and everything became dark.

Peter Maza got the news of the accident at his precinct one hour later. He dashed to the hospital where Diane and Beth were already waiting. Both hugged him and Diane told him about the situation: Elisa had two broken ribs and a concussion but the worst worrying thing was the internal bleeding in the stomach area. Her life was in danger and she would be most probably unable to keep her baby.

The family carried on waiting. Beth, who had gotten back to her late teens, tried several times to join Derek on the phone and finally decided to go and tell him the news by herself. A few hours earlier, she was happily making projects about going back to the college; now she was worried sick about her sister. Captain Chavez dropped in at the hospital later. She too was worried. Elisa was one of her best cops, she also had a lot of esteem for her father and, being herself a mother, she knew how a parent could feel in those circumstances. Diane and Peter thanked her for being so kind but the waiting was still unbearable.

Hours passed. Finally, a man in a white coat came out and tried to explain the situation. The woman apparently suffered from a mysterious disease that had turned her uterus and its contain into a rigid matter. The collision had crushed it against other organs, causing an internal bleeding, and they had had to remove it to have a chance to save her life. The bleeding had been contained. But she was still in a coma and nobody could tell what was going to happen next.

The family sat and waited.

**Castle Wyvern, sunset**

It was Elisa's mother who told the news to the gargoyles when they awakened. It was a shock for Goliath, and he was not the only one to be shocked. Angela started crying and Broadway asked angrily if someone was responsible for the accident. Xanatos, who had been listening nearby, promised to hire the best doctors in the world to heal the poor Elisa (he didn't care for her but he knew it was a good way to stay on good terms with the gargoyles and to have his son perfectly safe).

The clan went down to the battlements. Then Goliath had an unexpected reaction. "Brooklyn", he said, "you're in charge tonight. Don't try to look for me until sunrise." And he glided away into the night before anyone had time to protest. Angela tried to follow him but Hudson held her back. "Aye, lass, yer father will come back. He just needs to be alone now."

The world was crumbling around Goliath. He couldn't see where he was going as if he had gone suddenly blind. _Elisa is dying. Just now…_ he thought.

_My love is dying. Who did that to her? Well, I did. It's me who made her pregnant, no one else. She partly turned into stone and her body couldn't cope with it. I should have known that a human can't give birth to a gargoyle hatchling. I should at least have convinced her to interrupt her pregnancy. She would be safe now. Oh, she wouldn't have listened to me. I should have never touched her!_

The lavender giant landed on a rooftop and roared in despair. He hadn't felt this way since the massacre of Castle Wyvern, ten centuries before. Life seemed to have no sense at all. He looked down at the street, twenty stories below, and thought about falling deliberately.

No. He couldn't commit suicide now. Elisa may still have a chance. And even if she wasn't to survive (his heart broke at that thought), his clan needed him. The three eggs were to hatch in a few months. Ten centuries before, he had deliberately left the eggs of his clan behind him to follow the adult survivors, wherever they were to wake up. He didn't regret his decision: it had allowed him to stay with his clan. But on the other hand, he hadn't seen Angela grow up.

The eggs and the clan were going to need him. Life was unfair but he had to undergo it. Sad but determined, Goliath decided to glide to the hospital.

**The hospital, Monday, 04 September 1997**

The first thing Elisa saw when she opened her eyes was her mother, half-asleep on her chair. She tried to remember how she had ended up in that room. Had Broadway shot her again? "Mommy" she called softly. Diane Maza got up and walked to her daughter, her eyes full of tears. "My little Elisa, we were so afraid!"

"What happened to me?" Diane took her hands in hers. "You had a car accident. We've been waiting at your bedside for days and nights." 'We' meant the Maza family, the gargoyles and the mutates. Her room had practically never been empty. Elisa smiled at her mother and then remembered that she was pregnant. "And my baby?"

"Beloved" whispered Diane, "you'll need to be brave. They couldn't save your child. They saved you, that's all that matters for me, and your father, and your sister, your brother, and all the ones who care for you. The doctors told me you'll have no physical after-effects, except…"

"Except?"

"They had to practice a hysterectomy. I'm sorry, dear."

Slowly, Elisa put a hand at her bandaged stomach. She realised that her child was gone forever. And that she would never be able to have another child, whatever could happen. She had wanted this baby so badly…

Tears started running down her face.

_To be continued…_


	5. Halloween

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated.

Many thanks to Hardwing and Storyseeker for their advice and suggestions and to Samuel B. for the beta-reading.

_Four_

_Kidnapper_

_(Email: )_

Previously, on Gargoyles:

Demona: "Arch, you're going to bring me one of those eggs."

"Beloved" whispered Diane (to Elisa), "you'll need to be brave. They couldn't save your child. They saved you, that's all that matters for me, and your father, and your sister, your brother, and all the ones who care for you. The doctors told me you'll have no physical after-effects, except…"

"Except?"

"They had to practice a hysterectomy. I'm sorry, dear."

"Kidnapper"

**Manhattan, Friday, 31 October 1997**

_Elisa_. I was released from the hospital last week. My dad drove me back home in his car, just like when I was a little girl. It was really nice of him. Everyone has been really kind to me lately: my family, the clan, the other cops at the precinct... I could see that they were uncomfortable, that they didn't know what to do except to say sorry. Well, it's kind of my own fault, I should have known that there was something wrong with the baby. How could I have acted so stupidly? It's like someone cast a spell on me, preventing me from seeing the obvious.

I'll have to accept the idea that I will never have kids. Poor Mom and Dad! I'm sterile now, Derek and Maggie don't want to have children until a cure is found and Beth isn't interested in 'traditional' procreation, so when are they going to have grandchildren? I don't want to think of it now. I miss Beth, she went back to Flagstaff recently, still looking a bit younger than her age but she's determined to make up lost time. Even when Goliath is with me, I feel alone, so alone…

Halloween's tonight. There will be children in the streets, hundreds of happy children with their happy parents. I never really noticed before. I wish I could just stay at home… But life goes on, and so does work.

**The Labyrinth **

_Maggie_. I wish I could sleep for more than a few hours! I don't know why but there seem to be more and more dwellers in this place. It's my home now and I like it but every now and then I wish I could have a bit more privacy to myself. Yesterday a woman with a slight Russian accent came with her little girl. I had the feeling I was seeing myself when I came to New York City: clueless, naïve, believing she's not like "the other homeless ones"… When I talked to her, I realised how much I've matured over the last few years.

Her daughter, Rachel, doesn't mind living in an 'underground house'. She kept asking if she could go out on Halloween's night. In fact, all the children are now getting ready for the great evening. It's so moving to watch them playing in this place that couldn't possibly look less like a playground! Claw is amazingly patient with them. He has been looking dreamy lately but I don't know why. Last time I asked him he just said "nothing, old memories coming back". Sometimes it's funny to think that he is such a close friend and that I don't even know his real name or anything about him.

These kids! They are adorable but so tiring sometimes! I wish I could sleep more sometimes…

**The Clock Tower **

_Angela_. Broadway and I awoke a few minutes ago. We did not have time to go back to the castle last sunrise so we just roosted here. In fact, the Clock Tower has become our secret place since it has been rebuilt. It appears that it is the only place in Manhattan where it can be just the two of us for a little time. We read, we listen to music, or we play games.

I love the games. Despite the fact that our first time was a disaster. I hardly knew how it was supposed to go as my only knowledge came from books. And he was so nervous about the idea of doing it wrong that… well, it was not his fault but it was not very good.

The second time was not much better. And after a few times, we relaxed. We started playing games. Now I really enjoy it.

I wish everything was that enjoyable. Poor Elisa has lost her baby and one of our eggs has been stolen. That makes two babies gone out of five. I can't help thinking of it… It is Halloween tonight and we are supposed to be happy but there's still this horrible loss. Now I start understanding gargoyle ways: these children-to-be were the children of the whole clan, I can nearly feel their loss in my flesh.

Broadway and I are supposed to go to the Castle now. He stops and wonders aloud if perhaps, there is still chocolate sauce left… It's his favourite game, body art on me with chocolate, and then he 'cleans' everything, and then we do something else… The only side-effect is that now the smell of chocolate makes us think of something else. Oh no, I would love doing it now but unfortunately, duty calls. Let's go back to the castle.

_Brooklyn_. It's Halloween tonight. I wish it was as cool as two years ago! Since the egg was stolen and Elisa nearly got killed, everything's too weird. We've all been so upset lately that nobody found time to get a costume (which gives us the only choice of going 'dressed as gargoyles'). Goliath told us that there will be no patrols tonight, we will just keep watch on the eggs in turn. Let's pretend to have fun!

And the Trio'll be apart. Broadway will be on a date with Angela tonight (lucky him). Lexington's going to meet one of his internet guys. He keeps saying it's only a friend and I keep teasing him about his 'date.' Well, I hope that somehow the same thing could happen to me. Hudson will visit his friend Robbins and Goliath is going to comfort Elisa, as usual.

Well, this leaves me alone with Maya. She was already fragile and hypersensitive before the eggnapping but now she's really gone off the rail, switching into a blubbering mess at any moment. "Let's go down and take a look around," I suggest, after all it's the only night of the year we can. She agrees reluctantly. Perhaps I'll manage to cheer her up a bit if I'm lucky.

We are in a street now. Finally we are not that conspicuous: a lot of children are disguised as gargoyles. I even hear someone say, "do you see the red gargoyle? His neck is all wrong, you can see it's a costume!" This makes me laugh. We buy some pretzels and drinks. A lot of people are staring at Maya. For a moment, I think that it's because she's such a cute girl, then I realise her Guatemalan features probably look a little strange for someone who has only ever seen Scottish gargoyles! Someone tells her she has a great costume and she stands speechless for a few seconds before saying, "err… yours is great, too."

She seems to find it hard to relax and keeps watching the children in hatchling costumes. I finally ask her what's wrong and she says it's nothing, just nightmares she had last day. She dreamt of those horrible nights she spent in her former rookery, alone, surrounded by crushed eggs. Then she asks me about the massacre of Castle Wyvern, one thousand years ago. We have a weird little talk, talking about the massacres we experienced, surrounded by those carefree people who never saw their families die.

I can't find anything else to say. Suddenly, the music changes and half of the passers-by start dancing. My adopted sister seems to enjoy the music and suggests that we try a little dance, if I don't mind? OK, let's try.

After a few steps, I realise that I am probably the lamest dancer ever. She's not very much better than me. We keep stepping on each other feet and we nearly collide into a wall twice. Nobody minds. Apparently, Maya likes the dance. For the first time, I see her laughing and suddenly she's so beautiful, completely different from the timid girl I know.

But someone shouts at us! We stop dancing and we see a blonde woman sprawled on the sidewalk. Apparently, my sister made her fall with her tail. Maya immediately shrinks back into her old shy self and start apologizing childishly. The woman (Margot Yale, of course) shouts at my sister like mad and I have to protest. "She didn't mean it, OK?" Why do we have to bump into that woman every other night? Finally, it's Maya who pulls me back by the arm. She wants to go back home, it will soon be her turn to keep watch on the eggs.

We hide in a dark alley. "Thank you for this evening... and for everything," she says, blushing slightly. "It was…" And suddenly, she brushes my hair lightly with the tip of a claw, turns back and scales a wall as fast as she can.

I watch her leaving, smiling in spite of myself. Yeah, I know this gesture means nothing at all. The human equivalent would probably be a light peck on the cheek. She just likes me like a friend or an adopted brother and anyway, women of her age who have already been mated are hardly ever interested by teenagers like me. Well, we just had a good time. That's all that matters…

_Lexington_. I've been feeling uneasy lately. It's me who gave Arch the way to steal the egg, after all. I'm sure it was him who did it and I wish we could find him and… everything.

On my behalf, I couldn't guess what was going to happen, after all. I couldn't guess he was a homophobe either. At least that horrible night had a positive consequence: I know my clan won't mind about who I'll love.

Brooklyn has been joking about me, thought. This is Halloween's night and I'm going to meet a guy who doesn't even know that I am a gargoyle. Too weird. Kind of fun, but weird. Well, it will be cool to really meet someone instead of chatting on the web, for a change. His name is Chris, Lonelysoul on the net, he's a twenty-two-year-old gay computer science student.

I did manage to lie to him quite successfully when I was in front of my keyboard. Whenever he asked me questions I couldn't answer, I used to do a little search, or type anything and pretend that my fingers had slipped, or to answer at random. Now I'll have to do everything in real time.

He told me he would come disguised as a werewolf (another were-something I met at Halloween). It must be him in front of this grocery.

"Chris?"

"Lex?"

He takes off his mask. Mousy-brown hair, glasses, neither handsome, nor ugly. He asks me if I can take off my mask. I refuse, of course. I suggest having a drink. So let's drink. And after a little talk, he asks me the question.

"Top or bottom?"

I pretend not to understand. But I know what he's talking about. Of course, he didn't want to meet me only for a pineapple juice! So what am I doing now? Of course I have to refuse: I can't, well, do it and still pretend to be a human in disguise.

It's a bit disappointing, I think. Perhaps I would have known how it really is. I'll wait. But wait a minute: this Chris has been chatting with me for weeks, was he only interested in sex or did he want, well, something else? Perhaps gay humans mix sex and friendship. That's a weird concept for someone whose species mate for life.

And since when do I want to mate with a human?

We finish our drinks and we talk for a moment. Then I say I have to baby-sit my little brother (it is partly true: I will probably be the equivalent of an elder brother for the eggs). Chris stops me. "You're straight, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?"

"You're straight. It's obvious."

Oh, no. "Why would a straight guy come and… you know?"

"There's something you're not telling me. Do you have a disease or something?"

"I'm a real gargoyle" I say impulsively, exasperated. I regret it immediately.

He looks puzzled. Then he smiles. "Oh, I see. That's why your talk was so weird. Well, I don't mind. Is yours bigger than a human's?"

That was the last thing I expected. I answered randomly. We talk again. And again. And we end up in his bedroom, which is tiny and a mess. He shows me the bed. A part of me wants to run away before it is too late and a part of me just wants to stay and enjoy everything.

_Talon_. Maggie just called me. She was outside with Claw and a few kids, on a trick-or-treating evening, and the new little girl, Rachel Korsakov, got lost. And we are not supposed to call the police, the mother doesn't want to. She's obviously hiding something, but that's not the point, where is the kid, now? I called my sister, who phoned the clan, and we are now all patrolling over the city, looking for any little girl in a yellow gargoyle disguise.

Claw looks really upset. He outglides me three or four times and finally suggests me to go down and ask a passer-by about this lost child. I do it. Nobody knows. It's weird to walk among those people who just think we are wearing masks and fake wings. A short man photographs us and my mute friend tells me to ask him if he has seen the kid.

Maggie joins us later and says there is a little show in the next street, attracting loads of kids. Maybe we could have a look. "Derek, I've never seen Claw seem so troubled, do you think he knew this little girl?" she asks suddenly.

"I have no idea. But it doesn't matter right now. It may be sad to say, Maggie, but paedophiles do exist and on a night like this kids disappear without a trace." Maggie looks frightened. My jaw flexes when I think back about some of the stories I heard back on the force.

So we search again. And again. We won't stop until we find her.

**Jeffery Robbins' home **

_Hudson_. Aye, maybe I should have visited my friend another night. I would have enjoyed my reading lesson better, were it not regularly interrupted by those little lads. Strange custom, allowing these wee beasties te threaten the neighbours into giving away candy. They say neither please, nor thank you. Sometimes I find this modern world way too bizarre t'understand.

My friend comes back into the room, where I stay hidden from the children and he asks me how my niece's pregnancy is going (I wanted te tell him about the eggs so I altered the truth a wee bit). I explain him the lass is very nervous, this will be her first child. And her worries have spread to the whole clan.

This reminds him about his sister's first baby, she was nervous, too. Women are like that when it comes about newborns. But someone is knocking at the door again. Aye, I'm getting so tired with those little lads' impoliteness that I'm going to correct them. They'll think I'm a human in a gargoyle disguise, anyway. "Stay here, I'll do that" I tell my friend.

"Trick or treat" they shout as soon as I open the door. A little lass adds happily: "Hello, Burbank!"

Burbank? Oh, no matter, this lass simply lives in the Labyrinth. Wait a minute, how come she is here? The mutates' home is miles away from my friend's house. I ask them te tell me their names and give them candy reluctantly. I'll telephone Talon, just in case.

He seems shaken. He asks, "Rachel? Are you sure the name was Rachel? A blonde girl in a gargoyle disguise? Why didn't you tell her to stay with you?" I explain myself and I hang up. My friend is looking at me with a little smile.

I have te find an explanation. "Yes, she's the daughter of friends of mine. His name is Talon, yes, it's a family name. Derek Talon… Are ye sure the kids said something about my costume?"

He laughs. "Hudson, a blind person generally knows what he hears. Are you sure you're not a gargoyle who wants to stay hidden?"

Then comes another explanation. It happens that he had doubts about me for a very long time. But he doesn't mind having a friend who was born in 878, AD. Perhaps I could help him with his next book, the action takes place in the Middle-Ages and he wants te be sure, not te make anachronisms.

So last year I couldn't even read. Now I'll help someone writing a book…

_Claw_. I shouldn't have done that…

Sometimes, being mute is really useful. You don't have to explain yourself. I can hardly face Talon and Maggie now, and I didn't even dare being present when they told Anya that her daughter was lost. I'm a coward.

It's my fault. The kid had never seen me before but she decided that she liked me at first sight. Some children are like that. So when she lost her bracelet in the street and got worried, I signaled Maggie that I would going to stay with the girl and search while she was taking care of the other children. We finally found the bracelet, pink pearls with her name on it. Rachel. It means ewe etymologically, I wonder if she knows it. I couldn't ask her the question, of course, other times being mute is painful. So I tried to tell her that we were going to join the others.

But she did not intend things to go like that. No, no! The little devil just wanted to take advantage of the situation. Pleaaaase… could I have a chocolate ice-cream? she asked me, looking at me with her big eyes. I wonder why I agreed. Maybe because… oh, I don't want to know why.

By the time for me to explain to the vendor what I wanted, she disappeared. And her smell had disappeared in the crowd, too. Had she taken the bus? Maybe. Maybe a kid that young wouldn't have the idea to get on a bus. I don't know. I have no experience with kids. I only know one thing: if something ever happens to this poor innocent child, I will never forgive myself.

Finally, Talon gets a call from Hudson. There's a Rachel who might be the girl we are looking for on the outskirts of New York City. She must have taken a bus. Talon thanks Hudson on the phone and we glide away. I hope we won't be too late.

We search. It's difficult: either we have to walk and we are too slow, or we glide and we have to remain high in the air, not to be seen. I finally see her, a tiny yellow spot on the road. She's clutching her bag of candy, crying. She has finally realised that she's lost.

Talon is as relieved as I am. But he also gets angry, of course. He tells her that she was foolish to act this way and that her mother will be warned. And she cries again. "No, not my mommy! I just wanted to see my dad!"

Maggie had joined us. She hugs the little girl and says: "I'm sorry Rachel. But did your mother tell you where your dad is?"

"She told me he's dead. But I was also told that on Halloween's night, dead people can visit us. I thought he could meet me in a place where there are not too many people."

I can hardly believe what I am hearing. Dead? Why did Anya lie to our daughter? Well, I know why. I have been a lousy husband and a lousy father and it is perfectly understandable that Anya got the custody of Rachel. Of course my girl doesn't remember me, she was only a baby at the time. I'm really happy that she didn't see me a few years ago, when I was living in the streets, alone, until Sevarius offered me what he called a job…

And here I am now. I can't say a word, I am unable to walk in a street 364 days a year but I protect the dwellers in the Labyrinth and at least my life is worth of something. Now Anya is the homeless person who needs help. How things change.

We phone everyone to tell them that the child is safe and we go back home now (by bus, it feels weird). I wish I could tell Rachel that she doesn't need to look for her father among the dead. I'm here.

Five minutes ago, she has offered us some of her candy. Now she's fast asleep, her tiny head resting on my arm. She looks very much like her mother but she has my eyes, I mean the eyes I had before I got mutated. Maggie seems to have noticed something. She whispers at my ear: 'do you know her?' I shook my head, laughing inwardly. Do I know her? I named her!

I won't tell her or anybody the truth about me. At least not now, it's too soon. Will I be able to tell my daughter that I am not dead one day? And how would she react? What kind of father can I possibly be?

_Goliath_. The little girl is back home, safe and sound. At last.

Elisa has been looking for her for hours. She was getting more and more upset as time passed, as if finding young Rachel could make her baby come back. I tell her again and again that we all stand by her after the terrible trial she's gone through.

"You will be a mother soon, anyway; the clan's eggs will hatch shortly." She looks at me the same way she did the second night I met her.

"You just don't understand, Goliath, it's not the same as having my own baby." Tears swell in her eyes, and I hold her, but I still do not understand. Why does she reject our children-to-be?

Well, raising children as a clan is the Gargoyle way and Elisa is human, after all. But even Angela has started to say 'our eggs' when she talks about them. But then again Angela is in fact a gargoyle, despite her upbringing. Still, I cannot blame my Elisa for being what she is.

The night will be over soon. Hudson and Bronx are already on their perches. Brooklyn and Lexington are joining them, the latter saying something about being interrupted at an interesting moment. My second teases him. Sometimes these two still act like hatchlings. Then Maya comes back from the rookery. Broadway and Angela join us at the very last moment. There is a trace of chocolate on my daughters forearm and she blushes when she is asked where she got it. I think I prefer not to know.

In a few months, our eggs will hatch. They will be the first hatchlings that have ever hatched in Manhattan. This may be the greatest hope my clan had ever known...

_To be continued... _


	6. A baby bird fallen from the nest

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated. Thank you very much to everyone who wrote to me, especially to Samuel B. for his beta-reading.

_A baby bird fallen from the nest_

_Previously, on Gargoyles: _

Goliath: "In a few months, our eggs will hatch. They will be the first hatchlings that have ever hatched in Manhattan. This may be the greatest hope my clan had ever known..."

"Halloween"

**Paris, Friday, 09 January 1998**

Dominique Destine burst from a cab without a word to the driver, she threw too many bills through his open window and ran to her home as fast as she could, slamming the door behind her. She could already feel the familiar pain. A few seconds later, Demona had shredded through Dominique's suit.

Muttering angrily to herself, Demona said, "Stupid humans! If not for the blasted transportation workers having gone on strike, I'd have had plenty of time to return home. Strike, strike, strike! It's all these accursed humans do, it must be their national sport. Even the workers at this branch of Nightstone talk of strike. Perhaps they do want me to fire them." With this thought, Demona smiled evilly to herself.

She had left to Paris shortly after Halloween. In Manhattan, she constantly had the feeling that she was watched, by night as well as by day; there were always shadows in the sky over her manor and that Maza human had tailed her a couple of times. Even Angela had come to her and told her that if she was somehow responsible for the theft of the egg, she would never forgive her.

This meant she had to be cautious. The Grimorum Novum had accompanied her to France, as well as the egg and Archangel in his stone-sleep, who hadn't really wanted to leave New York City. He kept complaining about everything and sometimes she wished she hadn't taken him as an apprentice. Well, she couldn't let him go, anyway, it could be too dangerous for her.

She went and had a look at the egg, locked in a special room, knowing that it wouldn't hatch for a few months. Then she turned on the television and watched the news.

Arch entered the room, eating an apple. "What do they say?" he asked.

"Some people say good evening" she retorted coldly.

"Good evening, mother," he responded sarcastically. "What do they say on the television?"

"The blasted strike will carry on until those stupid humans are fed up with doing nothing," she said bitterly. "And I am losing money. I hate the humans here, they are so arrogant and dogmatic…"

"Too bad…" Arch didn't understand Demona's craving for money. On Avalon with his rookery siblings and foster parents, no one gave any thought to material wealth. Looking through the window, he saw that the sky was cloudy. _Good, it will be easier to stay unnoticed,_ he thought.

The grey gargoyle didn't like Paris. There were fewer buildings here than in Manhattan that were tall enough to hide a gargoyle and the language barrier was a major problem. He had tried several times to patrol and befriend humans, which had taught him a few useful words: "au secours" (help), "un monstre" (a monster), "pitié, ne me faites pas de mal" (please don't harm me) and "je ne boirai plus jamais" (I'll never drink again), as well as a few swear words. This was all the contact he'd had with local humans; it had not been fun.

As though that weren't enough, Demona started acting very strangely (well, more strangely than usual). She had been spending more and more time in the rookery, staring at the egg. Once he had even heard hear whispering "my little girl…" He didn't know that it was her maternal instinct that was resurfacing, as well as the instinct that urges all gargoyles to protect their eggs.

He left discreetly. With the strike, there would be loads of people in the streets. It would be fun to watch. Well, more fun than staying here.

**A rooftop in front of Destine Manor**

Goliath, Lexington and Broadway were waiting silently. They had read in newspapers that Dominique Destine was in Paris but it could be a trick from her. Angela was now knocking at her windows, checking if she was away. Goliath knew that in spite of her evil, Demona wouldn't dare to harm her cherished daughter.

Then a lavender shadow emerged from the darkness and landed on the rooftop. "She's away" she said. "It looks as though she won't return for weeks."

Goliath nodded and told everyone to follow him. The next minute, they were all on a balcony. Lexington checked the window and shook his head. "There's an alarm system," he said. "It's probably linked to the police station and I can't deactivate it. We'll have to find another way in."

Unfortunately, there were no other ways, all the doors and windows were linked to the same alarm system. Goliath just wanted to break in and everyone had to deter him from doing it: if the police came, they wouldn't have time to search anything.

Angela finally checked for potential witnesses in the street. Seeing none, she landed in front of the front entrance. There was apparently a new system: one had to type a five-letter code to deactivate it. She remembered something her father had told her and typed ALONE. It didn't work, of course: Demona was not stupid enough to use the same code twice.

So what could it be? She tried a few variations of her own name: ANGEL, ANGIE. CHILD. It didn't work either. No, it was sad to say but her mother was motivated by hatred, not by love. If the code was someone's name, it was surely someone she hated.

ELISA didn't work. Neither did HUMAN. Angela thought hard. Her mother never called Elisa by her first name when she mentioned her. So what could it be? She tried a few combinations and finally typed EMAZA.

The screen flashed several times. It was apparently the right code. Cautiously, Angela opened the door. Nothing happened. Smiling, she called to the others and everyone entered the manor through the front door.

The gargoyles started searching, looking for anything that could tell them where the egg could be. Lexington found a computer and started browsing through its files. It only contained information about Nightstone Unlimited.

Growling to himself, Goliath muttered, "If only the eggs did not need constant supervision, Brooklyn, Hudson, and Maya could have assisted us. But the clan needs these eggs to hatch to survive."

After some time, Broadway entered a room full of strange objects, probably magical artefacts. Among others things, there were the remains of a smashed mirror that looked suspiciously like Titania's Mirror. Angela was half-kneeling in front of a table, crying silently. She had apparently spread parchments on it and had been reading them. He embraced her and asked her why she was crying. She showed him an old parchment. He tried to read it but it was Latin.

"What does it mean?" he asked.

"It means it was mother who made Elisa pregnant! I can't believe it. How could she?"

"What?" Broadway was shocked, he could hardly imagine Elisa "doing it" with her arch-enemy. Angela took the parchment and translated aloud.

"_The seed inside shall spread death through your flesh_." How could she? I… I'll never be able to forgive her, it's too…"

Broadway tightened his hug silently while feeling a sudden surge of hatred for Demona. Goliath and Lexington joined them later.

Another parchment was found, an incantation that had blurred Elisa's judgement, making her determined to keep her baby whatever happened. Goliath tore the two parchments into shreds but it was too late. He was so enraged that he smashed the table. An ornate lantern joined it in a growing pile of debris a few seconds later.

Fearfully, Angela tried hard to calm him, saying "What good does this destruction do? Mother-- Demona is the one who should feel your wrath." Goliath stopped his blind destruction, but only after he'd destroyed half the room.

He felt like he was having a nightmare. He knew his former love had turned to the dark side, but to this degree? He was going to KILL her.

Then Lexington had an idea. "Her computer may be networked with ones of her subsidiary company. Maybe I can hack into them so we'll know what she's going to do right now."

Goliath approved. While going back to Demona's room, the green web-wing turned to his rookery brother and quickly mouthed: 'Hudson'. Broadway nodded and left the room. The leader of the clan was obviously not his usual self. As Hudson was the wisest in the clan, he would probably know what to do.

A few minutes later, the rest of the clan was informed about what had just happened. Hudson stood speechless for one minute, while Brooklyn got mad. The beaked gargoyle had never thought he could hate Demona so much. Finally, the brown gargoyle nodded at Broadway.

"Aye, lad, at least we know now that it be not Goliath's fault that Elisa had the accident." He turned to Brooklyn. "Stay here with Maya, the eggs will be needing watching. I will talk with Goliath."

Brooklyn started to protest but the Mayan gargoyle, who was crying her eyes out, managed to calm him down a bit. Yes, the eggs did need to be protected, more than ever. He sighed and headed to the rookery while the clan's former leader prepared himself to face his rookery son.

**Castle Wyvern, atop the Eyrie Building, 12 January 1998**

Nothing had happened. Everybody knew that it was Demona who had nearly killed Elisa but there was no way to prove it. Goliath had been unable to tell the news to his beloved and it was only when she had asked him a dozen times why everyone was acting so strangely around her (Angela and Maya starting crying whenever they looked at her and Brooklyn and Broadway's eyes turned blazing white) that he had explained her everything. Quite reluctantly.

She hadn't been really surprised. She knew the immortal gargoyle was capable of anything. And at least it meant Goliath was not responsible for her accident and her hysterectomy. Well, it was the only good thing in that horrible story. Her hatred for Demona had increased tenfold but on the other hand, she was feeling slightly better now about the loss she had suffered, time heals wounds. She was even trying to think like a gargoyle, to consider the Mayan eggs like her own children-to-be. It was not easy and she was sometimes jealous of Maya, their more direct 'mother'. But perhaps trying to adopt gargoyle ways was the thing to do.

Maya was extra-worried, for other reasons. Gargoyle eggs generally hatch in March but the time travel could have created a time gap that could make them hatch earlier or later. She had tried to calculate this time gap but calculation had never been her cup of tea and she was ashamed of asking for help.

Back in Guatemala, her teacher had explained her that lactation was to begin one month before the hatching. Her breasts were getting tensed, was it a sign? And could she nurse three hatchlings even though she was so flat-chested? Well, Angela had told her that she and her rookery siblings had been fed with cow milk. If such a beautiful girl had been drinking nothing but ordinary cow milk when she was newhatched, the drink probably would not hamper her rookery children's growth or make them sick.

Someone knocked at the door of the rookery. She opened cautiously and found herself in front of Elisa Maza. "Good evening" Maya said, bowing briefly. "May I help you?"

"Well…" Elisa tried to find a way to explain why she was here. _Maya seems like such a nice girl, but we've never really... connected. Besides, walking up to a near stranger saying, "I want to be a rookery mother to your children" is too crazy. Even for me. Maya's shyness doesn't help the matter any, either. _Sighing to herself, she cleared her throat and finally asked, "I'd like to know if everything is all right with the eggs."

"Oh!" Remembering what she had been told, that Elisa had been deeply traumatised by her miscarriage, all the more so since humans raised their children individually, she decided that showing too much happiness and hope about being herself a mother-to-be would be grinding salt into an open wound. "They are all right" she said, embarrassedly.

"Do you know when they will hatch?"

"A… few months, I think."

"Good."

Both women tried hard to find something to say. The red gargess was about to suggest having a drink when a talkie-walkie started crackling on a table. Maya asked "may I?" and picked up. Brooklyn's voice crackled through.

"Hudson, Maya? We need one of you to come as fast as possible; there's a fire in a building and we need as much help as possible!"

Then Hudson's voice carried in from the common room, "I'll be coming then, lad." Brooklyn gave him the address of the building. The Mayan gargoyle hesitated, looking at the eggs. She wanted to help the poor humans who were trapped in that fire but she had to protect the eggs, and the Xanatoses were spending the night at Halcyon Renard's so they couldn't relay her.

Elisa put a hand on her arm. "Go," she said. "I'll watch them."

"Excellent!" the second-in-command said through the talkie-walkie. "Maya, come, we don't have much time!"

Maya agreed, thanked Elisa and left the room. The raven-haired detective found herself alone with the three eggs.

Out of curiosity, she touched one of them, half expecting to feel something moving inside. Nothing moved. Suddenly, her curiosity was brimming. _I wonder, are one of these Maya's egg. What'll the hatchlings look like? Should I get them birth-- er... hatchday presents? What could I get them? Clothes? Nah, they'll need to be altered. Toys, maybe... _She was starting to feel really interested. She couldn't remember Derek's birth very well, but when Beth was born, she was seven and she could still remember how much she had liked playing with that baby. She lifted the egg in her hands to have a better look.

Suddenly, someone shouted in the room! She jumped and let the egg slip. "NO!" she shouted, horrified. But it was too late, the shell was broken.

No! Why did all babies have to die around her? Elisa fell on her knees and started crying her eyes out. What was Goliath going to say?

She hardly realised that Alex was in the room, patting her arm. "'Lisa? 'Lisa, didn't want t'scare you. 'Lisa, you hurt?" Nothing on Earth could comfort her. She just wanted to die.

Then she realised that something was gripping one of her fingers. A tiny silvery grey hand covered in slime had emerged from the broken shell and was holding her own hand firmly, as though saying: "I'm here, I'm alive". It was brief: the tiny hand loosened its grip immediately. But it was enough to make her regain her courage.

"Alex," she said while removing bigger pieces of the shell, "can you help me? Please go and call someone, a gargoyle or your parents or Owen. Please, be a good boy." He nodded and left the room on his wobbly legs.

Elisa had a better look at the premature hatchling. It was a tiny silvery grey female, thin and slightly smaller than a human newborn. She wasn't moving any more. Elisa wrapped her in her jacket and checked her pulse. The heart was pounding but she wasn't breathing. She pinched her nose, put her own mouth at the tiny fangless mouth and breathed into the unmoving body.

She couldn't help remembering the night Angela had been nearly killed by the Hunters and she hoped this would work as well. It HAD to work. Again and again, the hatchling inhaled her breath. It seemed to last for hours.

Then, at last, the baby whimpered. She was alive! Elisa realised that she was crying with joy. She sat down in a rocking-chair and she lulled motherly to the hatchling who was now trying to grab a wisp of her hair. This baby was going to live. It was the happiest thought she had had for months…

Alex was walking in the corridors, trying to find someone. No one. Where were they? It was worrying.

Perhaps he had deserved to be alone, after all. A few hours ago, he was visiting his grandpa with his mom and dad. But his mom had insisted that he ate mashed broccoli. He hated mashed broccoli. And then he had wanted to watch cartoons on television. But his grandpa had told him that he was to go to bed. Finally, he had decided to make as much noise as possible, to annoy the grown-ups. And his dad had shouted at him, telling him he was being a naughty boy.

So he had decided to teleport to the castle, like Puck had shown him. He just wanted his friend Lexington to comfort him and play with him. But he had scared Elisa and she had started crying over a little gargoyle. Maybe he had hurt the little gargoyle.

He was a bad boy and it was right that nobody liked him. Alex sat alone in the dark corridor and started crying. He hardly stopped when he realised that Bronx was licking his face. He didn't know what to do, teleport back to Grandpa's? Stay and going to see Elisa?

A long time later, voices echoed in the corridor. He didn't dare looking up. He heard Lex's voice: "Alex? What are you doing here?" Two green arms lifted him from the floor. Alex had another tears outburst while Lexington was checking if he was not hurt.

"Wasn't he supposed to be at Renard's?" Broadway asked. And the gargoyles started talking to each other, wondering why he was here. They didn't seem too happy to see him. Then Hudson shouted from the other end of the corridor. "Elisa! WHAT happened?" And everyone stopped being interested in Alex.

Normally, it was Hudson's watch turn. He was quite satisfied with the way they had worked on the fire, everyone had been saved, even though the clan had been insulted a couple of times. But when he opened the door of the rookery, the first thing he saw was the remains of a broken egg.

He stood petrified for a moment. Then he noticed Elisa who was holding something wrapped in her red jacket. "Hello" she said matter-of-factly, smiling lightly. "I'm sorry, one of then came earlier than expected. Do you want to see your granddaughter?"

Without a word, the brown gargoyle took carefully the hatchling from Elisa's hands._ Aye, it be a fresh hatchling. She is naught but a wee thing, and she dinnae move verra much, but she be healthy, and alive._ The old gargoyle couldn't help thinking of all the hatchings he had raised back in Scotland. Now here in Manhattan, a new life had begun. There was no word to describe how he was feeling.

Goliath entered the room, followed by the whole clan. A chorus of exclamations ensued and everyone tried to have a look at the baby. Goliath noticed how weary Elisa looked. He embraced her and she whispered, "it wasn't an easy hatching. I just hope that she'll… until dawn, you know."

"Elisa, how can I ever thank you?"

Elisa didn't answer. She noticed that Maya was examining the other eggs and then coming to them. "It's an early egg, it happens sometimes" she explained to her. "This one is as thin as a silver birch but the smallest ones are sometimes the toughest. Thank you ever so much for taking care of her. Did she eat?"

"No, I'm sorry." Suddenly, Elisa was feeling terribly guilty for having letting the egg break. "In fact, it's not an early egg. We had some kind of an accident…"

"No matter!" Maya retorted, wiping away her tears of joy. She had been waiting for that moment for ten years, seen seventeen of her rookery eggs crushed to death and one stolen away from her. Now her first child was hatched and she was feeling unbelievably happy. "I… thank you. I…"

Broadway put a hand on her arm. "I think she's hungry" he said. "What do they eat?"

"Oh…" She blushed and crossed her arms over her chest instinctively. "Milk. Is there some in the kitchen?"

"I think formula would be more appropriate" Elisa noticed. "I can go and buy some."

"No, you're staying here Elisa" Goliath protested, holding her in his arms. "You have already had a hard night."

"Thanks, big guy, but I'm not sure you'll be able to enter a pharmacy and buy it yourself" she objected. "I go."

"At this time of the night?"

Everyone stood speechless while the hatchling started crying. She was obviously hungry. Without a word, Broadway left the rookery and headed to the kitchen. Eating was a SERIOUS matter, that was something he knew well.

**Paris, same hour**

It was early in the morning and Demona was trying to sleep. Arch was still not back. She had to tell him off a few nights before: the imbecile had been foolish enough to roost on the Notre Dame cathedral and had been spotted by a human who had taken a photo of him by day and published it, asking where this 'nouvelle gargouille' came from. Of course the photo had been said to be doctored but Demona still wondered if the fool was not intentionally looking for trouble.

She counted the days she would still have to wait until the egg hatched. It reminded her of the horrible night she had seen Princess Katherine stealing her eggs away from her. It had been a shock but maybe not as shocking as the spring of 998, the time her rookery children were supposed to hatch. There had been nothing to contain the painful milk flows and she had been spending all her time wondering if her hatchlings were hungry, what they were eating, who was taking care of them… Poor babies who were probably manhandled by those puny beasts!

But now it was over. She was going to have a son or a daughter and to raise him or her the right way. It was justice, her justice.

Had Demona not been in gargoyle form, she wouldn't have noticed a noise downstairs. First she thought it was her imagination. But no, there _was_ a noise. Cautiously, the blue gargoyle got up, took a weapon from under her bed and went to the control room.

No one was visible on the screens but she decided to go down, just in case. In the kitchen, she noticed that there was something wrong. The window was wide open and she had left it closed. Perhaps it was Arch's fault.

Suddenly, she had an idea. She took some cups and mugs into her room and had a look at it. There were some drops of a colorless liquid in one of them. It smelt sugary. Demona remembered how she had been poisoned and turned into a hatchling the previous year. She had also seen Detective Maza's sister swallowing the same kind of chemical and being painfully shrunk. Apparently, someone was trying to do the same thing to her now.

Who had been doing this? Not many people knew how to make the VAL001: some of her employees, Thailog and probably Xanatos. Was Thailog stupid enough to use the same method on her twice? Why would Xanatos wait for her to be abroad to attack her while it was easier in Manhattan? And did one of her employees hate her enough to try to turn her into a hatchling/child?

Methodically, Demona put all the cups into the dishwasher. Then she changed her mind and went back to her room, holding a mug, a little smile on her face.

**Castle Wyvern, atop the Eyrie Building**

"Yes… Fox, don't worry, your son is all right, we still don't know how he came here but he's all right… Yes, wait." Angela handed the phone to Alex, who was sitting in a corner of the room, clutching Bronx. "Your Mum wants to talk to you." Alex took the phone reluctantly. He hung up one minute later and Angela left the room with him (leaving him alone was out of the question) and went to inform the others that the Xanatoses were going to be back in the next hour.

"Alex, who made you come to the castle?" Angela asked. There had been so much attention around Silver Birch (everyone had started calling the baby by this name, although Elisa seemed to find it weird and/or ridiculous) that everyone had more or less forgotten about Alex. The toddler frowned.

"I did" he said.

"Alone? Or did Puck help or tell you to?"

"Alex want ta play."

"Alex, I don't mind you playing" she explained cautiously. "But it's late and you should be in bed by now. We go to your bedroom, I'll read you a story and then you're going to sleep, OK?"

"I want Lex."

"I'm afraid he's busy in the kitchen. I can tell stories too, you know." She said it a bit coldly. She liked Xanatos's son and had never wanted to hurt him but just at that moment, she would have preferred to have a closer look at Birch. She had never seen a newhatched gargoyle before and felt curious and already full of tenderness toward her new sister/niece/daughter/whatever. Unfortunately, the toddler detected the coldness in her voice.

"Want Leeeeeeex!" he shouted. The lavender gargess tried to remember what Princess Katherine used to do in this kind of situation. If he didn't stop shouting, he would awake the hatchling! Fortunately, Lexington left the kitchen where he had been showing Broadway how to prepare a baby-bottle, took Alex from Angela's arms and ran to the kid's bedroom.

Angela entered the common room and left it immediately. Elisa was sitting on her father's lap, her head on his chest. He had his wings wrapped around her and they looked like people who really don't want to be disturbed. Angela decided that she would inform someone else that the Xanatoses were about to come.

She entered a bathroom and left it, too. Maya was bathing the baby, beaming and explaining something to Brooklyn, who seemed much more interested in the mother than in the hatchling. Goliath's daughter had been suspecting that something could happen between these two ones for weeks. She left them alone and wondered where the others could be.

Hudson was alone in the rookery when she entered it. He looked lost in reverie. She asked him what was wrong and he seemed to awaken from a dream. "Aye, lass, I was only thinking of old memories. I remember when yer father was hatched." He frowned. Seeing the tiny baby had reminded him how hatchlings were fragile and how it had been difficult to protect them sometimes, back in Scotland. One of his rookery grandchildren had already been kidnapped, maybe forever. Protecting the little girl and her rookery siblings in a city where gargoyles were considered to be monsters was probably not going to be an easy task.

"What's the matter?" Angela asked him, puzzled. "You look worried. Is there a problem? We have a hatchling now, isn't it wonderful?"

Hudson smiled in spite of himself. Somehow, Angela's naivety was comforting. "Aye, lass, ye'll understand when ye'll be my age…"

"OK, boy" Lexington said patiently. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"NO" Alex shouted. The green gargoyle sighed. In fact he had doubts about what was wrong.

"You don't like the baby gargoyle, do you?"

"NO!"

"Alex" Lexington whispered, taking the toddler on his lap, "I like you very much. Everyone in the clan likes you. You will ALWAYS be my friend, whatever happens. But there is this hatchling now…"

"No!"

"Oh yes, there is. You're not the one who takes the decisions here. She will stay with the clan."

"Alex don't like her" the toddler retorted stubbornly.

"I noticed. But maybe you'll change your mind later. Perhaps you'll want to play with her, teach her some important stuff…"

Alex thought about. Being an older brother seemed quite appealing to him. He calmed down further when his gargoyle friend explained him that anyway, there were games he could play with him and not with the baby and that no one would ever replace him. Finally, he nodded, let the green gargoyle tell him a story and fell asleep, his thumb in his mouth.

Lex tip-taloned out of the bedroom to find himself in front of Fox. "He's sleeping" he whispered to her. "Oh, and don't mention the hatchling, he's a bit jealous."

"A hatchling?" Fox asked, puzzled.

In the common room, Elisa was dozing in Goliath's arms. She was feeling unexplainably contented. Her baby was born, after all. _Her_ baby, as well as the other clan members', and it didn't matter if she didn't look like her.

She had told Goliath about the accident. He had comforted her, Alex couldn't be blamed, he was only a kid who had frightened her without meaning it and she had saved the baby's life anyway. Just now, she was having her first meal. Both Goliath and Elisa were still slightly worried, however. What would happen is the hatchling was still too weak to survive the next day? They hoped she would be all right.

Angela came in a few minutes later. The baby had taken and seemed to like the milk (it was lucky that Alex's old baby-bottles had not been thrown away). Alex was now in bed. Everything was all right.

There was still one thing that slightly annoyed Elisa. "Are you sure Birch is the right name for her?" she asked Goliath.

"Do you mind the name?" Goliath inquired.

"Well, it's not exactly beautiful but I wonder if something more traditional wouldn't be more appropriate" she answered.

Goliath sighed inwardly, wondering what Elisa meant by 'appropriate'. Yes, according to humans, names were supposed to allow people to tell them from each other. Did they have other purposes? And what did she mean by 'traditional'? Out of definition, there were no traditional names for gargoyles. "What do you suggest?" he asked.

"Well…" Elisa said. And then she remembered that out of the nine members of the clan (including her), six had names that would sound definitely weird in a playground. Anyway, the sky would be this child's playground and if she didn't like the name, she would always be able to change it later. "OK, let's keep Birch. I just hope she won't sue you when she is older."

A few hours later, the clan took place on their perches. Elisa watched them turn into stone. The little Birch was lying behind them, wrapped in a piece of blanket. She turned her blanket into stone with her. Elisa supposed it was a good sign, kissed the stone forehead and headed to the elevator, yawning. She realised that her jacket was probably still somewhere in the castle, wet with slime. Too bad. She would retrieve it another day. She drove to her home, taking mental notice to buy formula as soon as possible.

**Paris**

Arch had been wandering over the streets a big part of the night and was fed up. He had broken into an apartment, helped himself in the fridge and watched television. There had been a porn movie at midnight and he had turned it off immediately. Watching this kind of thing was sinful. Ten minutes later, he turned on the television again. Two men were fooling around. He watched them for five minutes, fascinated, and then turned it off again, feeling like a criminal. Even thinking of that kind of things was a sin. The Magus would have been ashamed of him.

He tried to think of something else. Then he heard someone entering the apartment. A man staggered into the room and looked around. He was obviously drunk. Stunned, Arch didn't dare moving. Then the man waved at him. "Salut" he said.

It was one of the only words Arch knew. It meant hello. "Salut" he answered, hoping the man would fall asleep immediately and forget everything the next day. Unfortunately, he was apparently in the mood for talking.

"T'es encore là?"

"Do you speak English?"

The man looked at him, puzzled, and then entered his bedroom. He undressed partly and fell on the bed. He didn't mind having hallucinations when he was drunk but they could at least have the decency to speak French! One minute later, he was snoring.

Arch thought about for a moment. Then he took a pen and a piece of paper and wrote the following note.

_Dear Sir,_

_I'm afraid I used your television and ate your chips without permission. I'm sorry. And I'm not a dream. I'll come back tonight and give you some more chips. Au revoir._

_Ps: they were out-of-date._

Then he left through the window and went back to Dominique Destine's home.

_To be continued…_


	7. Lady in the sea

Synopsis: the Xanatoses have a family reunion and Dominique Destine tries to deal with problems at work

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated. Thank you very much to everyone who wrote to me, especially to Samuel B. for his beta-reading.

_Lady in the sea_

_Previously, on Gargoyles: _

Had Lexington known what was going on at the same moment, he wouldn't have been that optimistic. At the same moment, Arch was deactivating the alarm system of the rookery. One moment later, he was gliding to Destine Manor, a gargoyle egg clutched in his arms, decided never to step into Castle Wyvern again.

"Kidnapper"

"Alex" Lexington whispered, taking the toddler on his lap, "I like you very much. Everyone in the clan likes you. You will _always_ be my friend, whatever happens. But there is this hatchling now…"

"No!"

"Oh yes, there is. You're not the one who takes the decisions here. She will stay with the clan."

"A baby bird fallen from the nest"

**Castle Wyvern, atop the Eyrie Building, the 3 February 1998**

The sky was a glowing red, and the sun about to set. In the courtyard, a toddler was sitting next to a small statue, glancing from time to time to the eight other statues on their perches.

Suddenly, cracks appeared all over the statues. Next second, the gargoyles were breaking out of their stone shells. Alex waved at them. But instead of running to them to say good evening, he bent over the young gargoyle and brushed her pieces of stone skin away. He was feeling important; cleaning his 'little sister' was a serious job! He pouted when she was taken away from him. Sometimes he liked her and sometimes he felt like she got all the attention.

Maya had not moved from her place. She checked that no one was looking at her and then, discreetly, palpated her breasts. Yes, lactation had really begun. Good. As gargoyle eggs always hatch at the full moon, the children of the clan would be there in less than two weeks. The closer the night of the hatching approached, the slower time seemed to go by.

Brooklyn hadn't move from his perch either. He was getting a bit tired of all this fuss about Birch. Yes, she was the first hatchling of the clan in a millennium. Yes, her hatching had been difficult and the clan feared that she wouldn't live. But now she was as healthy as any baby and he didn't think that someone who never does anything but eat, cry and sleep was very interesting. Had he had the choice, he would have preferred her to be already older and able to talk and play.

At least children grow up. And nearly everyone seemed delighted to have a baby in the clan, anyway. Hudson often looked dreamy when he was seeing her, Elisa regularly found 'good reasons' to visit them, even when she was supposed to be working…

In a few weeks, there would be two more hungry, crying, dozing babies in the castle. He sighed at this thought and wondered if he was ready for the hardship.

**Paris, Nightstone unlimited**

"_Attention ! Voilà Démoniaque !"_

Dominique Destine didn't even wince when she heard one of her employees whisper at her passage. She knew they nicknamed her "Démoniaque" (diabolical) but after all, the opinion of those humans didn't matter. She stopped at the coffee machine, hesitated and chose a tea with no sugar. The machine made a weird noise. She frowned and turned to a short, nervous-looking woman. "_Who's in charge of the coffee machine_?" she asked in French.

"_It's Antoine, but…"_

"_Antoine who?"_

"_Antoine Tiberghien. He's late because…"_

"_Tell him he's fired."_

"_It's the strike. He couldn't come earlier, you…"_

"_Tell him he's fired or I fire you with him. Understood?"_

"_Yes, Madam."_

"_Thank you, Émilie."_

The woman didn't dare saying that her name was Hélène and not Émilie. The general laws of politeness simply didn't seem to apply to Dominique Destine. A few minutes later, a man entered the room, holding a cardboard box.

Of course he was late. All the employees who went to work by subway were to be late one day or another, even only by five minutes. According to the most famous Parisian joke, the acronym 'RATP' didn't mean "Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens' (Parisian transportation control) but 'Rentre Avec Tes Pieds' (return with your feet): strike was their philosophy. But it wasn't Démoniaque's philosophy. Hélène ran to her colleague. "_Antoine, where were you?"_

"_Me? In the subway, like everyone. Why?"_

"_Démoniaque has just asked me where you were. She… she considered firing you. You know how she is; I think you'd better apologize immediately or…"_

Antoine laughed. He was born with no sense of danger. "_First I'll fill the machine again, ok? We're not in a hurry."_

"_Antoine, she really looked serious. I don't want you to have problems."_

"_And that's very kind of you, _ma puce_, but you know how everyone is with no coffee. Ok_?" and he took a key and opened the machine. Hélène sighed and beat a retreat. She liked Antoine but if she did anything else, she could lose her job herself.

One minute later, she heard a man whimpering. She carried on tapping her keyboard. It was a bit cowardly from her but if Antoine was bullied by Démoniaque, she could do nothing for him. Well, phoning him later, offering him a drink, but what else? Hélène just hoped that Destine woman would go back to New York as soon as possible.

Then she heard people shouting with surprise. Out of curiosity, she went at her door and opened it slowly. There were people turning their backs at her and Démoniaque was not among them. Hélène went to her friend Juliette and asked her what was happening. Juliette laughed nervously and gestured at a bunch of clothes. There was a toddler boy under them, clapping his hands happily.

"_Hélène… either Antoine has brought his son to work and has suddenly lost all his clothes, or…"_

**A beach in Maine**

Petros Xanatos was walking alone, reading a letter his son had sent him. David wanted him to come to New York for "the day".

The day was not David's birthday or his own. It was his wife's deathday. David's mother had drowned in a shipwreck and the sea had kept her body. When his son still lived at his home, they used to have a little time together and watch the sea every year. But one year, when they were walking on this very sand, they had had an argument and the younger Xanatos had finally left the beach, saying he was losing his time: walking on the sand and thinking of dead people doesn't make you rich. Of course Petros had been deeply shocked.

The letter was most surprising and the elder Xanatos wouldn't have been astonished if this invitation was in fact part of one of his plots. With someone like David, you could expect anything. During years, his son had been turning his back to him and showed off his wealth every time he had met, in the most pretentious ways. As if there were not things money couldn't buy! Petros was not sure that he wanted to meet with his son.

On the other hand, David had used the best argument possible. "Alex wants to see you again. He's really very fond of his grandfather." With the letter, there was a drawing of the young Alexander. The eldest Xanatos smiled in spite of himself. He couldn't help remembering how David was when he was a toddler. He had always been trying to teach him the most important values like hard work, honesty and loyalty but he had apparently failed. Even when he went for him at school, he could see him staring at those other kids who were being chauffeured home in big, expensive cars. The kind of kids who always make the law in a playground. At that time, he was already proud of his son's cleverness and not yet ashamed of how he would use it.

Petros Xanatos had a better look at the drawing, which was so well drawn for such a young child that magic was to be suspected. It was apparently little Alex, beaming and holding the hands of his mom and dad. And "Grandpa" was on the drawing too, holding his son's hand. He smiled again. At least the kid was growing up in a family who really cared for him. Maybe coming to New York for the day would not be such a bad idea.

Petros carried on walking on the sand. The waves came and went at his feet, sounding like a pulsating heart. The eldest Xanatos wondered if David had ever brought his son to a beach. Most children enjoy playing with sand but perhaps this toddler was entertained in other ways. This lead to another problem: bringing a gift for his grandson was something obvious, but what kind of gift? An American penny was out of the question, of course. Bringing something very expensive would make no sense, given the wealth of his father. So?

Suddenly, the fisherman saw something shining on the sand, among the seaweed left by the tide. He bent to have a look at it. It was blue and golden and shiny and he had the feeling he had already seen it somewhere.

Yes, he had definitely seen it somewhere.

Sharply, Petros Xanatos wiped the object with his handkerchief, put it in one of his pocket and decided to go back home. He had a last look at the sea where his beloved was resting and mentally asked her what to do right now. Then he smiled. Yes, perhaps his grandson would like this kind of gift.

**An apartment in Paris, at night**

The half-drunk man called Jérôme Marchand lightened a cigarette and offered one to the person who was sitting in front of him. He knew he was dreaming but he didn't mind. Generally, when he was dreaming of winged monsters, those monsters were running or flying after him. This one was just talking. In American English but that was not a problem.

"So where are you during ze day?" he asked after a few puffs.

"At my mother's. And you?"

"At my job. I clean dishes in a restaurant."

"Do you like it?" Arch asked.

"No. I was emptier before but zey took me my job."

"You were emptier?"

"I put people out of a nightclub."

"Ah! You were a bouncer!"

"Yes." Jérôme yawned. "Why do you visit me?"

"Because I like it?"

The man shrugged. "Do you want to watch TV?"

"Yes."

Arch really wondered why he was visiting this man. Pretending to be a hallucination had been fun at first but now it was getting really boring. Everything was getting boring, including phoning strangers in the middle of the night to listen to their reactions (and Demona had put an end to that little game, anyway). He had managed to find a language method and had been unable to learn more than "bonjour" and "au revoir". Everything was boring him.

He left when Jérôme started snoring on his chair. There was practically no one on the streets. A window at the highest floor of the Maison Destine was unlocked, as usual…

Arch stopped. The window was wide open, which almost never happened. He landed on the balcony and listened. Someone was walking downstairs. Out of curiosity, Arch entered and listened intently. Who was with Demona?

He left the room and went to the stairs. After one moment, he heard a mad laughter, and a male voice shouted: "I WON!" The voice sounded a bit like Goliath's but why would Goliath be here?

Maybe he wanted to play a trick on him. Arch didn't want to fall into that trap. He decided to leave and to roost on another building again. Then he would think about.

The night after, while visiting his 'friend' Jérôme, the grey gargoyle learnt that Dominique Destine had been indicted for poisoning and was now in jail.

**Castle Wyvern**

A helicopter landed on the courtyard after sunset. All gargoyles had already left their perches. A grey-haired man and a red-haired woman exited the vehicle. The man looked around him, remembering all the times he had visited his son at the castle. Nothing normal had happened: only time travels and encounters with supernatural beings. Then the multi-billionaire left the castle and met his father.

An embarrassing silence ensued. The two men hadn't met since Alex's birth: Petros had seen his grandson a few months before at his own home but only Fox had been present. Although the fisherman had been impressed by the way his son had defended his own son when he was born, their old habits of coldness were not easy to break. They exchanged a few words. "How is my grandson?" finally asked Petros.

"In his bedroom. He's punished."

"I see you're using my old upbringing method" Petros said sarcastically.

"Why?" Fox interrupted. "Don't tell me he has…"

"He has put an egg in the garbage bin, my love. Come, Father, we have no reason for staying here in the cold."

"Don't you think that locking a toddler in his bedroom for wasting food is a heavy detention?" Petros asked sharply while following his son and his daughter-by-law in the castle. Xanatos nearly laughed.

"This is my son. Don't you think I have the right to bring him up as I wish?"

"I just hope my common sense has skipped a generation. Now do you mind if I unpack my case?"

The question was intended to be rhetorical but his son didn't consider it this way. "Owen must be unpacking it now."

"I can unpack a case myself, thanks."

"Well, father, if you are interested in boring tasks… Second floor, next to the main door."

As expected, Owen was already unpacking the few clothes Xanatos's father had brought, much more quickly than one would expect from someone who can only use one arm. He was not alone: the gargoyle beast and the lavender gargess were looking under the furniture. The latter slid a baby-bottle from under the bed with her tail, saw Petros, saluted him politely and left the room, Bronx following her. Puzzled, the fisherman nodded to her "good evening, Mr Xanatos" and turned to the majordomo. He looked unruffled, as usual.

"Don't touch this!" Petros said sharply, gesturing to a small box. "This is a present for my grandson."

"As you wish, sir."

Somewhere in the castle, a baby started crying. The fisherman frowned. "This doesn't sound like Alexander…"

"No, this is the gargoyles' baby."

"Since when do gargoyles live in this castle?"

"I'm not sure Mr Xanatos would want me to give you this piece of information."

"Oh! And do you mind telling me why this lady was looking for a baby-bottle under a bed?"

"I'm afraid young Alexander keeps teleporting objects into impossible places. Finding a baby-bottle is getting more and more difficult."

The eldest Xanatos smiled, in spite of the strangeness of the situation. So his son was now experiencing the difficulties of bringing a child up…

When Petros Xanatos entered the child's bedroom, the kid was sulking on his bed and smiled at him timidly. Alex knew that his grandfather was generally a nice person but he also knew that he could be very strict sometimes. "Hello grandfather" he said hesitantly.

"Hello, sonny" the old man said, noting how the kid had grown up and how much he looked like his father at his age. He had never been good at dealing with kids and now he was feeling slightly uneasy. "How are you doing?"

The toddler didn't answer. Instead, he jumped to the floor, took a drawing on a little table and gave it to his grandfather. "For you" he said simply.

"Is it me?" The man on the picture didn't look very much like Petros Xanatos but it was the best a child of that age can do. The kid nodded.

"Yeah, s'you."

"Thank you very much. I have something for you, too" the man answered. But Fox, who had entered the room just behind him, protested.

"He's punished tonight. You can give him his present tomorrow."

Petros thought it was better not to interfere with the upbringing of other people's children. He bent and kissed the toddler clumsily on the forehead, wished him good night and left the room.

Alexander was thinking hard. So his grandfather had something for him? What could it be? Burning with curiosity, he sat and tried to imagine. He couldn't help thinking of the miniature boat he had shown him the last time. Not a normal boat but a wooden boat with tissues things called sails. And he had told him stories about sailors on the sea. Surely, he would tell him other stories the day after. But what could this present be?

One second later, Alex had teleported to his grandfather's bedroom. He would just have a look. There was nothing wrong with it.

**Paris, a police station**

Demona was sitting on a bed, in her cell, thinking hard. Two weeks earlier, she had started carrying a talisman that could create illusions everywhere with her. When she had been taken to the police station, she had used it to make everyone believe that she was still Dominique Destine, even by night. The most difficult thing had been to stay silent when the painful change had happened. Now she was alone in this tiny cell, in her torn business suit, trying hard to guess who had shrunk her employee.

She had had to answers dozens of questions. Yes, the chemical VAL001 had been developed by her company. Yes, two persons had already been the victims of the chemical and of one of its variants. Yes, the first victim was one of her former employees. No, nobody still knew why and by whom the second victim, a student girl she had never met, had been contaminated. Yes, the effects of the chemicals were temporary: Miss Gregarino and Miss Maza had now both found their ages back. No, she was not responsible in those accidents; nothing had ever been proved against her anyway. And so on.

Just now, policemen were probably searching her home, all the more so since the concept of search warrants didn't exist in France. Damn Frenchies! She hoped the spell she had cast to hide the entrance of the rookery would be efficient. And she hoped Arch would be bright enough to hide himself.

**Castle Wyvern, a bedroom**

Grandfather's coat was on his bed. His closet was half-open, revealing some clean, folded clothes inside. There was a book on the bedstead, one of those adult things with no images, even on the cover. A picture of a woman was resting next to the book. Alex knew it was his grandmother (not his fairy grandmother, the other one). He was now slightly embarrassed. Leaving his bedroom like that was forbidden, after all. And he shouldn't have put the egg in the garbage bin. Hudson had looked really shocked. _"How would yer mom and dad react if someone put ye into that place, little lad?"_ This had been embarrassing.

Perhaps he could make Hudson a drawing and promise him never to bother the eggs again. Hudson was a kind person, he would forgive him. Yes, he was going to do that. And he was going to teleport back to his bedroom. Immediately.

Well, he would just have a look around and then he would go back.

Alex had a better look at her grandmother's picture. She was wearing a big dress and had a haircut like women in the movie he had watched with Hudson the previous week. Grandfather had told him she was in the sky, which was funny as she didn't have wings. Perhaps she could fly without the help of wings, like Puck. And perhaps Lexington and the other gargoyles had already met her in the sky. He was going to ask them one day.

The toddler put the photo back on the bedstead and noticed that a drawer was not completely closed. He opened it and saw something shiny inside. Perhaps this was his present?

One minute later, Alex was back in his bedroom. It had been a funny evening but he was glad it was over.

**Paris, next day, Dominique Destine's home.**

Dominique finally entered her home, which had been searched throughout. Nothing had been retained against her so she was free. Swearing and boiling inwardly, she slammed the door behind her and ran barefoot to the rookery.

The egg had been taken.

For a moment, she could only stare at the place where the egg had been, shocked. How was it possible? Who could do such a thing? _Who could be cruel enough to do such a thing?!_

She fell on her knees, desperate, and started crying, alone, in her shredded suit. After a moment, she remembered Arch. Perhaps he had put the egg into a safe place?

Or perhaps it was _him_ who had stolen it away? She had to know. She ran up the stairs to the place he used to roost, searched throughout the other rooms. He was nowhere to be seen. Nowhere.

She found the bed and collapsed on it. Her mind was boiling. Arch was basically a follower; he couldn't have done that alone. Who could it be? _Who could it be?_ Her thoughts were getting mad and at the same time, she couldn't help thinking of that night, in 994, when she had seen her 36 eggs being stolen away. Why? Why did it have to happen to her?

Hours passed. She transformed back into a gargoyle and decided that it was time to pull herself together. She put on her halter and loincloth, put her shredded red suit into the garbage bin and went to the kitchen.

Then she heard someone walking upstairs. An intruder! She needed a weapon. She opened a magically sealed door hidden behind a cupboard (of course the humans hadn't found it), took a weapon and walked to the stairs.

A familiar stone-colored gargoyle appeared. "Hello mother" he said. "I'm glad to see you, I heard… what happened?"

"What happened?" she shouted. "WHAT HAPPENED? You were not here when it happened?"

The Avalon-hatched gargoyle didn't dare moving. There was a weapon aiming at him and he had to think about very fast. "I was outside" he said. "I came back and I heard sounds. It sounded like you had a visitor and I didn't want to disturb."

"Visitor? Who? What did you hear?"

He decided to be honest. Demona looked so angry that anything could happen. "I heard a voice that sounded very much like Goliath's. I decided not to stay. You know I don't think he likes me after what I did.

Demona lowered her weapon. "He SOUNDED like Goliath?"

"Yes. His laugh didn't, though."

"Thailog."

"Who?"

"It's Thailog." It made sense. She had showed him how to open her magically sealed room when they were lovers, long ago. It could only be him who had stolen the egg away. "I'll explain you later. Now I have to find out where he is exactly. He MUST NOT keep my egg."

**Manhattan, the 4****February, 1998**

Alex was cuddled on his grandfather's lap. It was the most comfortable position he could get in the helicopter. He was eying a bag the eldest Xanatos had brought with him. Could it contain his present? His father noticed his impatient look and said "well, Father, I think your grandson has waited enough now."

Petros smiled. "Alex" he said, "perhaps you wonder why we are here, over the sea, you, your mom, your dad and me?"

"Yes."

"We are here to say hello to your grandma."

"Where is she?" he asked curiously.

"She's in the sea."

In the sea? So she was not in the sky? The toddler thought hard and asked: "she's a mermaid?"

The adults nearly laughed and David suddenly remembered something he thought he had forgotten long ago. "She had a beautiful singing voice. I loved listening to her."

Alex closed his eyes and tried to listen. He could hear no one singing. Both men smiled again and the elder pulled a little box out of his bag. The tot heard something that sounded a bit like the sea. He opened his eyes and saw his grandfather holding something against his ear. He had a better look. It was a big shell.

"You can hear the sea in this shell" the old man explained. "This is a present from your grandmother and from me."

"Say thank you, Alex" the multi-billionaire ordered, moved in spite of himself. "This is a beautiful present."

"Beautiful" the toddler agreed while wondering how something as big as a sea could be held in such a small shell. "Thank you, grandfather."

"And I also have something for your grandmother" the old man added. He took something else in his bag.

David's eyes went wider. The thing his father had in his hands was, blue, golden, shiny and heart-shaped. He already had it in his hands on his weddings' day, three years before. "Father" he asked slowly, "where did you find it?"

Petros did not answer. He merely smiled and threw the artefact through the window, into the sea. The multi-billionaire was boiling inwardly. How dared he? How could someone treat power with such spite? In front of his own grandson?

"I think your grandmother will be very happy with this little present" Petros told the kid. "You know, having a family is a great thing. Much greater than other things some people crave for…"

**Castle Wyvern, same night**

"The eleventh of February?" Elisa asked while patting Birch softly on the back. She had just had her baby-bottle and was about to doze, cuddled in her arms. According to Brooklyn, she ate more than Broadway and he didn't know that it was possible. The leader of the clan nodded.

"Yes. They generally hatch after midnight. Will you be there?"

It was practically a rhetorical question. Elisa whispered "of course" and wondered how she was going to explain Captain Chavez that she was going to take a night off to watch the hatching of her rookery children. She had already told her so many shameless lies and pseudo-lies that it was a miracle she hadn't lost her trust.

Goliath embraced her. Elisa remembered an idea that had kept running through her head for weeks. "Big guy" she asked softly, "what about getting married?"

The leader of the clan looked at her in surprise. She smiled. "Or at least having a commitment ceremony. We have been together for so long without it being official. I just…"

She didn't finish her sentence. He put a finger softly on her lips to silence her.

"Yes" he said.

_To be continued…_


	8. My ex love

Synopsis: Demona wants to take the egg back from Thailog.

All the characters appearing in Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are copyright Buena Vista Television/The Walt Disney Company. No infringement of these copyrights is intended, and is not authorized by the copyright holder. All original characters are the property of NotreDame. I disregard The Goliath Chronicles as invalid in the continuity.

Any kind of feedback is welcome and much appreciated. Thank you very much to everyone who wrote to me, especially to Samuel B. for his beta-reading.

_My ex-love_

_Previously, on Gargoyles: _

Xanatos: I sent spies to investigate on that matter and they found out that detective Maza recently contacted one journalist called Michael Harker several times. He is a former Quarryman and a P.I.T. member, seems to know things that could be interesting, is said to be discouragingly honest but has some money problems. …. This is getting interesting.

"Interview with a gargoyle clan"

Demona lowered her weapon. "He SOUNDED like Goliath?"

"Yes. His laugh didn't, though."

"Thailog."

"Who?"

"It's Thailog." It made sense. She had showed him how to open her magically sealed room when they were lovers, long ago. It could only be him who had stolen the egg away.

"Big guy" (Elisa) asked softly, "what about getting married?"

"Lady in the sea"

**Paris, Dominique Destine's home. The 6****th**** of February, 1998**

Demona lit the last candle and closed the door. She had put a water basin in the middle of the room and the surface of the water was shining eerily. Arch was impressed. He had never seen such organised magic and the idea that he was going to take part in it was putting a knot in his stomach.

During the previous week, they had both spent their nights looking for Thailog. She had searched the cathedral where they had been lovers, as well as Macbeth's former house, which was now inhabited, looking for possible hints. There was nothing to be found, of course. Demona had finally found a spell in the Grimorum Novum. It was supposed to allow you to spy on someone, wherever he or she was. But it required two spell-casters to be succesful. She hoped Arch would be up to it. He _had_ to be up to it. It was about her egg.

They stood on each part of the basin. The immortal gargoyle half-closed her eyes and recited a long incantation in Latin. In the middle of it, she gestured at her rookery son, who threw a white hair in the basin. The water turned from red, to blue, then black. Arch could hardly breath with the smell of the incense going straight to his head. Then a cloud erupted from the basin. A blurred image appeared in the middle of it. Then it got clearer and Demona recognized her former lover.

He was typing on a computer. Demona couldn't help studying the emotionless face, remembering their past life. She had a sudden surge of rage while remembering how he had been manipulating her, humiliating her in front of Goliath's clan, how he had tried to kill her daughter. Then she remembered that another of her children was in danger and tried to focus on the room around him.

It was very plain: a desk, a chair and nothing else. The gargoyle didn't move. He was staring at the screen. Demona stepped back. She just wanted to see anything that could make her guess where he was.

Then Goliath's clone got up and went to a window. He opened it widely. He didn't take a great risk in doing so: most people were sleeping at that time of the night and he was apparently at the fifth or sixth story of a building. Demona looked attentively. She could see the Seine River, which was of great use. She could also see the position of the stars. He was apparently on the south bank. She photographed the landscape mentally. She would go to the banks the next day and she would locate this building. She had to.

The image became blurred and disappeared. But the immortal gargoyle had seen enough. She smiled at Arch, who was blinking. He was feeling lost, as usual.

"Son, we're gonna get the egg back!"

"Yes, mother" he answered matter-of-factly. "Why did he take it?"

This was a good question. Thailog had not asked for a ransom or tried to contact them. He probably had other projects but which ones?

There was only one way to know.

**Castle Wyvern, atop the Eyrie building**

Behind his desk, David Xanatos was reading a medical report. A couple of newspapers and half a dozen documents were spread on the desk. A cup of tea was getting cold in the middle of the contained chaos.

Xanatos had been reading all the medical reports about the chemicals VAL001 and VAL002. He had hired the best chemists and geneticists in the world (excluding Sevarius, obviously) and he had come to one conclusion: Beth Maza had not healed normally. Something had been used on her, of origins natural or otherwise could not yet be determined.

He had all the data possible: the composition of the two chemicals, the names and addresses of all the people implicated. He just didn't have the remedy. And now rumours were spreading about that man, Antoine Tiberghien, who had just been turned into little more than a toddler. With panic spreading throughout Paris and New York and about ten percent of the Nightstone employees resigning, wherever they worked, times were bad for Dominique Destine.

It was 10 p.m. in New York City. 4 a.m. in Paris. It was probably a bit late (or early) for making phone calls but the multi-billionaire was determined to take advantage of the situation. The only element he still didn't have was the composition of the antidote to the second chemical but he would get it, sooner or later. According to the information he had been collecting, few people had seen it, one of them probably didn't even know what it was…

He put his documents away and smiled.

**The Labyrinth, later**

"A commitment ceremony?" Talon asked, dumbfounded.

His big sister nodded. Maggie got up from her chair and hugged the raven-haired detective, beaming. "It's wonderful!" she said. "Congratulations."

"Wait, with… Goliath?" Talon asked again.

"Who else?" Elisa asked just before addressing the lioness mutate. "He never really liked any of my boyfriends. The boy I went out with when I was eighteen…"

"OK, no need to tell this story again" her brother interrupted. "I don't mind Goliath, it's just that I'll need time to adapt. Maybe. When will you do that anyway?"

"Probably a or two months after the hatching."

"I-- Do Mom and Dad know?"

Elisa looked embarrassed. "I wanted to tell them the night after tomorrow, at dinner. You'll be there, too? Beth will be… I told her by phone one hour ago. It's probably going to be an interesting evening."

The leader of the Labyrinth clan remembered the time when they were children. Sometimes they did forbidden things together, it went wrong and they had to avow everything to their parents. They generally prepared themselves hours earlier and asked their little sister to support them. It seemed like things never changed.

Elisa left half-an-hour later. Sitting on his bed, Talon was thinking that at least, it was good to see her sister happy when Maggie hugged him from behind. "What about us?" she asked.

"Us what?"

"When do we get married?"

The panther mutate turned back and looked at her seriously. "You and me?" he asked.

Maggie nodded. Talon looked away. His girlfriend frowned. "So you don't want to…"

"Don't you think our lives are already complicated?"

The lioness mutate's heart sank. So men were all like that! They loved you as long as you shared their beds but when it came to something more serious, they all ran away! "I see," she said coldly while emptying her tiny closet. Don't look for me tonight!"

Worried, Derek grabbed her hands. "Where are you going?" he asked. "I won't let you take the risk of being spotted or…"

"You don't control my life!"

"Your life is my life. We've been going through the same hardships, I am responsible for you. And you're responsible for me."

_This is probably the closest thing to_ I love you _that a man can say,_ Maggie thought. _Don't they know saying it is important?_ "Derek, do you love me?"

_Why do women always have to ask this question? Don't they already know the answer?_ "Of course."

"So why don't you want to marry me? Don't you think we'd be happy?"

"I'm happy as long as I'm with you. And a wedding ceremony would get us exposed. I don't want you to be in danger."

"Oh Derek…" Maggie whispered, cuddling against him and wondering for the umpteenth time how two people who were so different could love each other so much.

**Paris, the banks of the Seine river, 7 February 1998**

The sun was reflecting on the green water flowing under the bridges. From time to time, a 'bateau-mouche' passed, nearly empty. A few passer-bys were wandering idly.

A red-haired woman was walking briskly, stopping at every bridge and looking around her. Everything looked different in broad daylight. She was sure that she had seen a bridge, as well as several three-story buildings behind.

She stopped in the middle of a bridge called the 'Pont Neuf', out of breath, cursing the weakness of her human body, and had a look around her. The Pont Neuf was the oldest bridge in Paris and she had even attended its building, four centuries earlier. How she had laughed at those puny humans, who needed machines to transport pieces of stone, and a bridge to cross the water!

Now everything was different around her. Cars had replaced carts, which generated pollution and noise, which was typical from humans. But this bridge… She smiled. There was not a bridge that was identical to this one. Slowly, she walked to the south bank and reached the sidewalk. The same landscape as in the cloud. It was THIS building. She checked the letterboxes in the entrance hall. Apparently the man living at the sixth story was called Alexandre Télogue. It could only be him.

At last she had found it! But what was she going to do? She couldn't break into Thailog's home in broad daylight. There were always humans around this place. She couldn't afford to get caught and go to prison again.

By night? Yes, it was possible. She would break into that place with Arch in the dead of night. She would distract Thailog while Arch would glide away with the egg. What could he do? She was immortal, he wasn't. And the egg would be safe again.

Smiling slightly, Demona walked away from the gate.

**A room in Castle Wyvern**

Michael Harker looked at his wristwatch. That Mr Xanatos who had insisted on seeing him didn't seem to be keen on punctuality, apparently. The journalist was not too surprised: someone who wanted to live in a medieval castle couldn't be Mr Normal. The question was: why did he want to see him, a poor unknown freelance journalist? Did it have something to do with his former activities as a Quarryman?

Mike hesitated and then left the room and walked randomly. He had the feeling he was in an old movie. He reached a door and found himself in a courtyard. The place really looked like an old castle he had visited in England when he was a kid. Except that there were skyscrapers in the landscape. He was in an anachronism.

He moved to have a better look and suddenly saw something even stranger. There was a small stone statue at the foot of a wall. It had wings and claws like a gargoyle but the face was smooth like a baby's and there were no fangs in the open mouth. Puzzled, Mike bent down to see it better.

"Her name is Bich" a childish voice said.

The journalist turned back and saw a red-haired toddler of about 2 or 2 and a half, looking at him seriously. "Hi" he said randomly.

"Hi."

"Do you know where your daddy is?"

"Yes. In the castle. I'm Alex."

"I am Mike."

An awkward silence ensued. Mike wondered what to do. He hardly ever had to deal with children. "Do all gargoyles have names?" he asked randomly.

"Yes" the kid said with a little smile, gesturing at the statues above. "This is Goliath and this is Hudson and this is Bronx and…"

Mike remembered. He had already met those gargoyles. Had he heard that speech three years before, the journalist would have probably concluded that the kid had an overactive imagination. Now he just wondered how came he lived with gargoyles. He thought of his fellow P.I.T. members and imagined their reactions if they could be in his shoes. Lenny would probably become crazy! Well, crazier than usual.

Someone coughed behind his back. He turned back and recognized the multi-billionaire from pictures he had seen in newspaper. "Mr Harker?" the businessman asked.

"Mr Xanatos. Your son was showing me the statues" the journalist answered, hoping he wouldn't be asked why he was not in the waiting room.

"The eggs will hatch on Wednesday night" the toddler added happily. Mike frowned. Eggs? Perhaps this little boy bred birds. Or perhaps… Mike glanced briefly at the tiny statue. Xanatos noticed his glance and asked: "Do you have children, Mr Harker?"

"Well… not yet." Mike's love life was a disaster. Women simply never seemed to notice him. Well, there was this girl called Emily he had met at a P.I.T. meeting but he hardly knew her so what could happen? Xanatos nodded.

"Well, I read the article you wrote some time ago. '_The real menace'_. Do you remember it?"

Mike did remember. He had practically written it on a whim after seeing how the Quarrymen had terrified the gargoyle child Demie and how gargoyles cared for their children. He wouldn't have imagined at that time that the article would be one of the elements that would lead to the creation of the P.I.T. crew. How ironic for a former Quarryman!

"As you seem to have some kind of experience on gargoyles matters, I thought you could be interested in a special report" Alex's father carried on.

The journalist frowned. "Does it involve the Quarrymen?"

"No. Quite the reverse. It happens that the gargoyles are currently waiting for a happy event. I thought it could make good publicity to them if at least a media representative was present."

Mike frowned. A happy event? Neither of the two females seemed to be pregnant, though. But there was this egg matter. But why did that man choose a freelance who worked for newspapers? And…

"Do the gargoyles know that you're planning this?"

"I'll tell them" Xanatos answered with a little smile.

"Well. I'll think about."

"Don't think too much. I could change my mind. And generally, I pay well the ones who work for me."

This was a massive argument. Mike was not particularly venal but he sometimes had difficulties to pay his loans. Perhaps Emily wouldn't mind him if he had a little more money. "I'll think about…" he said again before taking his leave.

**Paris, that night**

The streets were nearly deserted. Paris was sleeping. If a passer-by had looked up, he would have probably seen two shadows gliding in the sky. Demona and Arch were heading to Thailog's hideout.

Arch knew that he should have been terrified or at least afraid. Thailog was one of the most dangerous persons in the world, after all, and he didn't have any immortality curse to protect him. But he only had a strange, expecting feeling. This was going to be another adventure, after all. It would only distract him from his boring life. And if it turned badly… oh, well, it couldn't turn badly!

They landed on a rooftop, ten meters away from Thailog's home. Demona handed her rookery son a small weapon. "I'll distract him. You go, you get the egg and you glide back home. OK?"

A mad laughter echoed. Both gargoyles turned around and saw a dark silhouette. Either Thailog had been waiting for them, or he had heard them but it amounted to the same thing.

"How I missed you, my ex-love" he said sarcastically.

Demona was about to retort sharply but Arch cut her short. "Can we come in?" he asked.

The clone and the immortal gargoyle stood speechless. Then Thailog gestured at a window in the rooftop. "Come" he asked. "Demona, where did you find that kid? So you have middle-age lust? Do you know that here, it is called the _démon de midi_? How appropriate!"

"He's older than you" Demona answered coldly. She was dying to club Thailog but he was carrying a weapon too. And moreover, she wanted to know why he was here and why he had stolen the egg. She followed Arch and found herself in a small attic. Thailog laughed slightly while following them.

"I was forgetting. How could you find someone of your age?"

The blue gargess was filled with bitterness and scorn. According to Angela, even that monster Delilah had rejected Thailog so how could he judge her? But this matter was not the priority. "I believe you have something that belongs to me" she stated.

"It belongs to me now my ex-love" the clone retorted. "Even if you might have laid it."

LAID it?! Demona suddenly understood what it meant and burst into laughter. "Don't tell me you believe you could have fathered this egg!"

"Why not? We did what is needed to, didn't we?"

"Thailog" Demona answered scornfully, "you may look very much like your father but there are things he knows and that you ignore. A female gargoyle needs to have at least one orgasm to procreate."

Thailog stood speechless. Doubt could be read on his face and it made Demona gloat. She explained further.

"I was faking. Always."

Slowly, Arch walked to the door. He was uneasy about what was happening. His uneasiness increased when he saw Demona whimpering and putting on a contorted face, which seemed to turn Thailog mad. Things were getting out of control.

"So I'm not as good as my father?" Thailog asked after one moment.

"You're not even the hundredth of him!"

"Good thing for Detective Maza. Just now, she must be having a blast!"

Demona's eyes blazed red. "I don't think so" she said. "She believes her pregnancy nearly killed her. That's not exactly an encouraging fact."

"You're blaming her for being… all alone?" he asked with a sugary voice.

"Don't blame me for being such a bad fuck!"

Thailog put his weapon on the table, like someone who has nothing to fear in the world. Slowly, he walked to Demona, who didn't seem afraid and added: "Even someone as dumb as Delilah doesn't want to…"

Arch saw Thailog stroking Demona's hair sensually. Then, without warning, he threw her gun away and pinned her to the wall. She tried to hide the fact that she was getting afraid. "You don't care about that egg so what do you want to do with it?" she asked.

"I care about the money it could bring to me. Do you know how many people would pay for a gargoyle egg?"

Demona pushed him harshly. She didn't manage to make him lose his balance, though. His hands stroke her face, her neck, lingered on her breasts. Then his talons went through her clothes, cutting into her skin. She growled and tried to push him away. In vain.

"And I am going to show you if I am a bad fuck!" he growled.

He pinned her to the floor and became violent all of a sudden. She struggled. Arch was petrified. Slowly, he walked to them to help Demona but she shouted: "Arch, DO WHAT I TOLD YOU!" For one moment, he didn't realised what it meant. Then he understood. His rookery mother wanted him to retrieve the egg and to leave with it, although Thailog was about to RAPE her.

It was impossible. Gargoyles are born to protect. He couldn't possibly forsake Demona when she was needing help so badly.

Demona's claws went through Thailog's wing. He shouted in pain. Arch thought she had good chances to win the fight and left the room, shaking, which made the clone laugh like mad. "It seems that your little boy has forsaken you, doesn't it, my ex-love?"

She didn't answer. All her will was concentrated on the fighting. Objectively, he was stronger than her, but she had centuries of experience in fighting. She HAD to win. She couldn't let… him… enter…

Arch was searching throughout the apartment. He broke several doors open, imagining they were Thailog. Then he found it, in the middle of a small room. It was the egg. At last.

He grabbed it and an alarm went off. Panicked, he ran for the door, which shut automatically just after him, snapping the skin of his tail. He shouted in pain. But he had to save the egg. He left, broke a window and managed to glide to the bridge. There was a small island just under, which was the port of registry of river boats. He landed on a boat, the egg still clutched in his arms. The pain was so violent that he was sure he couldn't glide back home.

Home. HOME! How came he didn't think of it earlier?

In the attic, Thailog and Demona were still fighting, both covered in blood. Thailog relaxed his grip when he heard the police sirens. The neighbours had apparently heard the noise. Demona pushed him aside and left through the window.

Her halter and loincloth were shredded and red with blood and she had cuts and bruises all over her body but at last he hadn't managed to rape her. For one moment, she considered turning back and helping Arch with the egg but she renounced. He would probably have more chances with it alone. She glided to her home. Later passer-bys would wonder where the drops of blood on the pavement came from.

She collapsed on the floor of her bedroom, her heart pounding. Deep inside, she wanted to think that nothing had happened. Rape was a human concept. A gargoyle who would be cruel enough to even try to commit such an abomination would be banished forever from any clan. But there again, Thailog had been created by a human. This could explain everything.

Arch wasn't at home. She waited. He didn't come and the sun rose, turning her into a human. She hoped he had roosted in a safe place with the egg.

_"Vocate venti fortunate ex rege Oberonis et hic navis flugem regate ad orae Avalonis."_

The river boat was engulfed in the fog. Slowly, a dark, giant boulder appeared. Arch burst into laughter. A few hours earlier, he was sure we would never come back to Avalon again. And here he was! And with an orphan egg!

The sun rose on Avalon. He turned into stone and just had time to wonder how Katherine would react. Well, she would forgive him for leaving. Mothers always forgive you.

He wondered with a sudden surge of sadness what had happened to Demona.

_To be continued…_


End file.
